London stocks rose in early trade on Thursday as investors sifted through corporate news, with Standard Chartered surging ahead on bid speculation.
At 0900 GMT, the FTSE 100 was up 0.6% at 7,932.39.
Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “The FTSE 100 powered up in early trade, gaining more ground back towards the record high, as winds of worry over how far interest rates will go are blown away again. The defensive, international nature of the index has provided the seeds of growth, but an improved forecast for the UK economy this week is also adding fresh nutrients.
Jarvis Investment Management Ltd offers a wide range of stockbroking and administration services and solutions. Their parent company, Jarvis Securities plc (LON:JIM) is listed on AIM.