Drugs give FTSE a lift

Drug giant AstraZeneca has slipped back 1.04% to £32.30 after ING Financial changed its “buy” recommendation to “hold” as it awaits key developments over the next few months. William Morrison has fallen 0.62% to 200.5p after HSBC rated it as "overweight" with a price target of 240p. Sainsbury has been started with an 'underweight' recommendation and has fallen 0.22% to 334.25p. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 Stock Average added 66.88 points, or 0.4%, to 15,638.5 points as a US manufacturing report fuelled speculation the Federal Reserve might refrain from raising interest rates. Sony gain...