Bank stocks lift Footsie 82 points to 5529

The UK's benchmark index the FTSE 100 ended Tuesday 82.4 points up at 5529.1 to record its fourth successive gain and is now more than 250 points higher than its 33-month low of last week. The All-Share index climbed 36.75 to 2663.92 and the Techmark rose 22.04 to 1573.67. Bank stocks took the Footsie higher - there were gains for proposed merger partners Halifax, up 45.5p to 813p and the Bank of Scotland, up 45p to 809p. AEA Technology added 17.5p to 337.5p, on news that Schroder Investment purchased more than 500,000 shares in the group helping with the clean up of Chernobyl. How...