FTSE profits from Standard Chartered results

The UK bank has climbed 86p or 7.5% to 1211p, after reporting a 28% increase in first-half profit aided by acquisitions and rising revenue at its consumer and corporate banking units. Its figures were well above analyst’s estimates. Oil and mining firms BP and BHP Billiton advanced 12p to 649.50p and 15.50p to 840p respectively. HBOS meanwhile also profited 16.5p to 912p. The bank announced plans to buyback £1bn of shares this year, a third up from its original announcement, after increasing its interim profits by 15% to £2.2bn last week. On the downside the Royal Bank of Scotland Gro...