BRITAIN'S LEADING SHARES CRUISED TO THEIR BIGGEST WEEKLY GAIN IN OVER SIX MONTHS ON FRIDAY, ENDING A VOLATILE WEEK ON AN UPBEAT NOTE AS RALLYING BANKS, MINERS AND OIL STOCKS COMBINED WITH MODERATE U.S. INFLATION DATA TO PUT THE MARKET FIRMLY IN POSITIVE TERRITORY, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. MINERS, THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE BENCHMARK FTSE INDEX'S RECENT SWINGS, WERE AMONG THE BIGGEST GAINERS. KAZAKHMYS ENDED UP NEARLY 6 PERCENT, FOLLOWED BY GAINS OF OVER 4 PERCENT EACH FOR ANGLO AMERICAN , XSTRATA AND BHP BILLITON . STEELMAKER CORUS ALSO CLIMBED THE LEADERBOARD, FINISHING UP 3.4 PERCENT ON HOPES FOR SECTOR CONSOLIDATION AFTER FRANCE'S ARCELOR ANNOUNCED PLANS TO BUY RUSSIAN RIVAL SEVERSTAL. BY THE CLOSE OF PLAY, THE FTSE 100 SHARE INDEX WAS UP 113.3 POINTS, OR 2 PERCENT, AT 5,791 -- A RISE THAT BROUGHT ITS WEEKLY GAIN TO 2.4 PERCENT AND LEFT THE FTSE AT THE TOP OF A 130-POINT TRADING RANGE DURING THE WEEK. TOTAL TURNOVER REACHED 2.6 BILLION SHARES. IT WAS A BULLISH DAY AMONG SMALLER STOCKS AS WELL, WITH THE FTSE 250 MID-CAP INDEX CHARGING 3.5 PERCENT HIGHER AND LOGGING ITS BIGGEST WEEKLY INCREASE SINCE MARCH, A GAIN OF 3.4 PERCENT. DESPITE THE WEEKLY INCREASE, THE FTSE 100 STILL STANDS NEARLY 6 PERCENT BELOW THE FIVE-YEAR HIGHS IT STRUCK IN APRIL, AND ANALYSTS ARE SPLIT AS TO WHERE IT WILL GO FROM CURRENT LEVELS. --MORE
