FTSE rallies as US plummets

Bank shares made gains after a recovery for the sector in the US overnight, with Lloyds Banking Group up 7.24%, Royal Bank of Scotland added 3.62% while HSBC shares climbed 3.5%. Shares in Cadbury added 2.75% after the firm reported a 30% rise in profits during 2008. Experian shares were the biggest loser on the blue chip index, down 2.64% despite recently renewing a contract to provide credit reports to Vanquis Bank. The Dow Jones fell sharply in early trading, removing much of yesterday's rally and prompting further fears the index might drop below the 7,000 points barrier. The ma...