Market starts week with a bang

The London equities market started with a bang this morning as the leading FTSE 100 index gained more than 80 points to 5,374 during the first hour of trading. Some market watchers said on Friday that the FTSE was approaching a key support level, which, once breached, could push shares higher much faster. That seems to be the case today, as gainers number 82 compared to the 15 stocks suffering share price drops. Support has grown also, however, due to the news that two of the world's top 20 oil companies are to combine to form the 5th largest group, covering businesses from e...