FTSE rollercoaster day ends with modest gain

Swings in US sentiment played on the Footsie today as London's blue-chips made modest gains on a rollercoaster day.

Early optimism on Wall Street, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average broke the 13,000 barrier overnight, briefly took the London market through the 6,500 level at midday, stretching 49.2 points higher to 6511.1 at its peak.