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FTSE rises 1.5 pct early on oils and banks

Thu Nov 27, 2008 2:39pm IST
 
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* FTSE 100 up 60.96 points at 4,213.65 by 0846 GMT

* Oils and banks rebound

* UK house prices fall 0.4 pct in November

By Dominic Lau

LONDON, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Britain's leading share index tracked gains in the U.S. and Asian markets early on Thursday, helped by rebounding bank and oil stocks.

By 0846 GMT, the FTSE 100 .FTSE was up 60.96 points, or 1.5 percent, at 4,213.65, after falling 0.4 percent on Wednesday to snap a two-day winning streak. The UK benchmark is down 34.8 percent for the year on fears of a severe global recession.

Oil shares rebounded, adding the most points to the index. BP (BP.L: Quote, Profile, Research) gained 2.3 percent, Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile, Research) put on 2.1 percent and Tullow Oil (TLW.L: Quote, Profile, Research) advanced 2.3 percent.

Overnight, U.S. shares climbed as investors snapped up tech stocks trading near their cheapest levels in five years, and renewed hopes of a General Motors bailout helped investors shrug off data depicting a worsening global economic downturn. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei average .N225 rose 2 percent. U.S. markets are closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, while trading on India's stock exchanges was stopped after a series of attacks by suspected Islamist gunmen in the commercial capital Mumbai killed at least 101 people.

UK banks were generally firmer, with HBOS HBOS.L gaining 5.8 percent, Standard Chartered (STAN.L: Quote, Profile, Research) strengthening 6.8 percent and Lloyds TSB (LLOY.L: Quote, Profile, Research) adding 6.5 percent.  Continued...

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