FTSE gets help from Friends

Friends Provident has risen 3.3p or 1.9% to 176.5p after Credit Suisse upgraded shares of the insurer to "outperform" from "underperform". Wellington Underwriting, the Lloyd's of London insurer, has gained 3.5p or 4.3% to 85p after the shares were raised to "buy" from "hold" at Citigroup. BP has fallen 2.5p or 0.4% to 622p after crude oil fell for the first time in a week in New York as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' members indicated the group may keep production at near-record levels. Rio Tinto Group has also dropped 54p or 1.8% to £28.78, while Anglo American ha...