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A strong performance by companies in the mining sector helped the benchmark index to rise 1.8 per cent at 11:07 BST, taking it to 4,496.11 points, Reuters reports.
Vedanta Resources, Rio Tinto, Xstrata, BHP Billiton and Kazakhmys all climbed, adding between four per cent and 7.7 per cent on the back of strengthening metal prices.
The banking sector also rallied, with HSBC rising 1.53 per cent and Barclays and Lloyds Banking Group increasing 3.8 per cent and 2.8 per cent respectively.
Many investors are "looking to uphold the market rally we have seen since the beginning of March", strategist Joshua Raymond explained.
The release of US personal spending and manufacturing data this afternoon will further influence the markets, he added, as this information will provide a "further insight into the potential for an economic recovery".








