Barclays soars as Citi boosts banks

The bank has submitted three portfolios of assets worth less than £10bn to the Treasury for consideration, the Financial Times reported, adding the Treasury plans to open discussions with the bank over the coming days. Its share price had surged more than 17% by mid-afternoon, with other financials also comfortably in the black. The moves helped push the FTSE above 3,660, a gain of 119 points, or 3.26%. Banks have until 31 March to decide whether to join the asset protection scheme, which insures so-called "toxic" loans. Elsewhere, Investec, Legal & General and Prudential all toasted ...