M&A activity involving Vodafone, BAA and the London Stock Exchange (LSE) has pushed the FTSE 100 Index closer to the 6,000 barrier in early trading today.
The benchmark is currently 27.6 points higher at 5935.5, as the market remains near levels last seen in the middle of 2001. Vodafone has been the biggest climber gaining 4p, or 3%, to 128.75p, while the prospect of a bidding war for the LSE has fuelled the upbeat mood. Vodafone's improvement comes after attempts by key figures at the group to rally behind under-pressure chief executive Arun Sarin. BAA is also up 18p at 832p following reports that Australian bank Macquarie is considering an offer to rival interest from Spanish firm Ferrovial. Meanwhile, the LSE has seen its share...
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