Aviva stocks push FTSE 100 up
The FTSE 100 is up this afternoon.
The FTSE 100 is up today (August 8th), pushed higher by the success of insurer Aviva.
After the company confirmed that its operating profits were up by five per cent, its stocks rose by 6.7 per cent and this helped to support London's stock index.
The FTSE 100 was up by 0.28 per cent at 15:53 BST, with Aviva one of the biggest gainers on the index over the course of the trading session so far.
According to a report by BBC News, a rise in mining stocks has also helped to support the FTSE 100 today, after they were boosted by a strong set of Chinese trade data.
Anglo American rose 3.2 per cent and Antofagasta jumped 2.7 per cent, while Rio Tinto's shares were up 0.7 per cent during the afternoon session.
House builder Bellway saw its share price increase by more than two per cent after the firm said that its revenues for the year to the end of July were up by 12 per cent to about £1.1 billion.
The FTSE 100 may have also been boosted by the news interest rates will be held in the UK until unemployment is brought down to the seven per cent mark.
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