Around the World's Markets: London

BLUE-CHIPS posted a sharp gain yesterday thanks to good corporate news and encouraging economic data.

The FTSE 100 ended 101.5 higher at 6,368.2 near the day's highest point. The leading index was in positive territory since the morning due to a set of weaker-than-expected retail sales data.

The undercard had a dull day, with the mid cap finishing 14.4 up at 5,734.3 and the Small Cap nudging 5.1 higher at 2,560.7.

Market report, page 25