Strong banking start sends FTSE higher

Home Retail is leading the gains in early trading, up 3.88% to 247.75. Then come the banks – Barclays is 3.55% higher to 364.50, Royal Bank of Scotland 3.51% ahead to 258.25 and HBOS 3.45% forward to 352.25. Supermarket Morrisons is down despite recording a 7% rise in quarterly like-for-like sales. It is 2.82% lower to 284. Miners are losing ground this morning on falling prices, Lonmin is 2.69% down to 3361 and Anglo American is 2.03% behind to 3332. In New York, Wall Street gave back significant gains in late Wednesday trading as worries over bond insurers Ambac and MBIA led to rene...