At the close of business, the FTSE100 was up 44.8 points at 5,307.34 with the FTSE250 ahead 61.21 points at 9,993.24 and the FTSE Smallcaps 11.04 points lower at 2,845.07. Headline shares retained strong broad-based gains at the close, with a rally in miners underpinning the market and property companies lending support, and with Man Group (LON:EMG) topping the leaderboard.  US stocks were mixed in late morning trade, with the Dow making ground after better-than-expected housing starts but the tech-heavy Nasdaq edging lower. Approaching the close in London, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 45 points at 10,670, the S&P500 edged up 4 point at 1,141 and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 3 points at 2,351.

LONDON MARKETS

London equity markets enjoyed firm broad-based gains, with financial stocks and property firms making good progress. News of disappointing inflation figures had only minimal impact.

Hedge fund manager Man Group (LON:EMG) headed the leaderboard, rallying 18.4p at 220.3p, investors shrugging off news that the EU is likely to go ahead today with a new regime of regulation.

Banks were also buoyant, with Lloyds Banking Group (LON:LLOY) the best of the bunch, up 0.85p at 58.15p. Barclays (LON:BARC) recovered 1.15p at 305.85p and Royal Bank Of Scotland Group Plc (LON:RBS) added 0.56p at 47.32p.
A return to profit at British Land gave the commercial property firms a welcome boost. The REIT said IFRS profit before tax was £1.128bn in the year to end-March, compared to a loss of £3.928bn the previous year. British Land shares jumped 18.7p at 452p, while Land Securities Group Plc (LON:LAND) added 15p at 635p and Hammerson Plc (LON:HMSO) gained 7.3p at 359.8p.

The improving travel situation some tour operators confidence, with Tui Travel Plc (LON:TT.) up 1.9p at 250p and Carnival (LON:CCL) 42p higher at 2,742p. Thomas Cook Group Plc (LON:TCG) missed the boat, down 0.9p at 216.9p. Hoteliers also benefited, with Whitbread (LON:WTB) gaining 3p at 1,408p and InterContinental rising 8.95p at 1,137p.

Mining issues made firm gains, led by Rio Tinto (LON:RIO), up 83.5p at 3,198p. Anglo American (LON:AAL) jumped 65p at 2,659p and BHP Billiton (LON:BLT) gained 37p at 1,932.5p. Randgold Resources (LON:RRS) was a rare loser in the sector, off 55p at 6,050p as gold eased to $1,220 an ounce.

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