London’s FTSE 100 set for weekly gains; Barratt surges By Reuters

(Reuters) – Britain’s FTSE 100 index rose on Friday and was on track to end the week with gains of more than 6% as investors bet on a swift economic recovery, while Barratt Developments (LON:BDEV) surged on plans to resume dividend payouts next month.

The UK’s biggest homebuilder surged 3.5% to the top of the FTSE 100 as it also posted a rise in forward six-month sales.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index gained 0.2%, led by consumer discretionary and energy stocks.

The domestically focussed mid-cap index rose 0.8% as data showed Britain’s job market strengthened for the first time in three months in December.