US consumer confidence and takeover speculation boost FTSE

British Airways shares were on the front foot today as it became the latest company to find itself at the centre of takeover speculation.

The UK flag carrier rose nearly 5%, or 21.5p, to 482.5p, after it emerged that Goldman Sachs had raised its stake in the company from less than 3% to 5.14%, sparking rumours the investment bank may be engineering a takeover attempt.