FTSE up on miner surge

Mining giants Antofagasta, Xstrata and Anglo American led the gains as rising copper prices boosted the entire sector. Antofagasta was the best of the bunch, closing 6.69% higher to 669.50. Xstrata was 5.89% up to 3719 and Anglo American finished on 2608, a 5.8% jump. Thomas Cook opened well and continued to climb this afternoon on rival TUI Travel’s encouraging trading announcement. Cook finished 5.48% up to 260. Alliance & Leicester was the only stock to lose significant ground on news it faces a £185m charge for Treasury investments losses. The lender closed down 3.45% to 700. In Ne...