Talk of a takeover at BG Group, formerly British Gas, is driving the FTSE 100 up this morning and has helped to push the index back over the 4500 mark.
The benchmark index was up around 30 points or 0.7% within the first hour of trading to 4522, while the FTSE All-Share index is up 13 points or 0.6% to 2257. Speculation of a takeover at BG Group by larger rival Total SA has pushed its share price up 11.5p or 3.6% to 328.5p. And Tomkins, the world's largest maker of car wiper blades, has risen 3p or 1.1% to 271.5p after a ratings upgrade by Goldman, Sachs & Co. In Asia, the markets in Japan closed at a 21-month high after strong news on Friday suggesting the economy could finally be improving. The Nikkei 225 index climbed 21% to...
To continue reading this article...
Join Professional Adviser for free
- Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
- Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
- Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
- Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
- Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
- Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes