FTSE surges past 6,000 to reach 18-month high

US lawmakers' package to avert stringent budget cuts and positive manufacturing data out of China gave equity markets a boost on the first day of 2013 trading, the FTSE 100 initially rising 80 points to 5,980 at the open. Those gains were then extended as UK-listed miners led the rally, the index standing up 2% at 6,016 by mid-morning as better than expected UK manufacturing data also helped bolster sentiment. That represented the FTSE's highest level since the 6,084 reached on 8 July 2011. Resources companies Evraz, Eurasian, Rio Tinto and Vedanta all rose by between 5% and 6%, wi...