Around the World's Markets: London

IN ANOTHER day of heavy trading, blue chips edged ahead, ignoring a poor opening in New York. The prospect of more corporate activity and even lower interest rates helped Footsie to an 11.2-point gain to 6,264.1; supporting indices also moved ahead.

Hopes of more bid action on the drugs front lifted SmithKline Beecham 36.5p to 892p and Zeneca, as its merger with Sweden's Astra was being sealed, jumped 110p to 2,945p, a peak.

Derek Pain, page 17