//
According to Reuters, the index was up 2.54 per cent - or 101.9 points - to 4,120.13 at 14:53 BST.
A number of financial institutions, including Barclays, the Legal & General Group and Lloyds TSB, all climbed, while mining firm Xstrata led the way with a rise of 10.54 per cent to 590.5p per share.
However, the Royal Bank of Scotland slipped 2.22 per cent, while a number of big firms - including Tesco, British Airways and Vodafone - also fell.
"The market at the moment is focusing on leading indicators," UBS equity strategist Gareth Evans told the news source adding that we have now "passed the worst" in terms of earnings downgrades.
Yesterday, retail companies prompted a rise on the FTSE during the afternoon session, with Next and Marks & Spencer both gaining.
