Banks ease FTSE back above 6,000

London's leading index added more than 61 points, or 1%, to reach 6,017. The positive sentiment was sparked by a Société Générale report on the European banking sector, saying the recent crisis, combined with regulatory changes, represented a "golden opportunity", writes the FT. Analysts Gert van Rooyen and Philip Richards named Barclays and Lloyds Banking Group among SocGen's favourite picks in the sector. Barclays added 4.9% to 290p while Lloyds rose 2.9% to 67.1p. Meanwhile, HSBC rose 2.6% to 690p after analysts at Citigroup lifted their rating on the stock to "buy" from "hol...