UK shares climb after two-day break

UK stock markets are rising this morning after the two-day bank holiday, following gains in Asia and the US, and as hopes grow a further round of quantitative easing will be launched.

The FTSE 100 is up 0.8% or 43.4 points, at 5,303, with miners, banks and financials among the biggest climbers. The gains come after the index dropped to its lowest level since November on Friday, closing down below 5,300. Investors are in a positive mood as expectations mount the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will announce plans to inject another £50bn of stimulus into the economy this week. Economists are also talking up the chances of a rate cut, although the base rate is already at a record low of 0.5%. The gains in the UK follow a positive session overni...