Banks push FTSE past 6,500 mark

Banks have driven the gains following takeover speculation in the sector, with Royal Bank of Scotland up 2.37% to £20.71, on confirmation of its group bid for ABN Amro - with Fortis and Banco Santander - while Alliance & Leicester added 2.37% to £11.64. Bradford & Bingley added 2.67% to 471.25p, although Vedanta Resources posted the biggest gains with a rise of 3.29% to £14.43, while BHP Billiton climbed 2.43% to £11.80 as metal prices improved. However, Imperial Tobacco Group limited gains with a fall of 1.99% to £22.17, on reports it is considering launching another offer for Franco...