UK shares power ahead despite Asian sell-off

The FTSE 100 is in the black this morning, buoyed by shares including Royal Bank of Scotland which helped the index shrug-off weak Asian markets overnight.

The blue-chip index was up 60 points at 6,435 by 9:50am, as banks and commodity stocks lifted the index. Among the winners was RBS, up 3% at 285p, as investors returned to the sold-off stock after a brutal month of losses. From 334p, the stock dived around 17% to 276p by close of play Friday, following the shock departure of Stephen Hester. Other winners on Monday include peer Lloyds, up 2.4%, as well as BP. The oil major's shares are up 1.6% following the spike in the oil price last week, and despite the news the company is facing 10,000 claims a month in relation to its Gulf of M...