Share indices break pre-Sep 11 highs

Traders are watching the FTSE 100 closely to see if it will break above 6,000 again this week.

On Friday, the UK index breached 6,000 briefly for the first time since March 2001.

The main driver of the index in the short term is expectations of takeover activity in the insurance sector.

Other indices broke pre-September 11 highs last week.

The broad S&P 500 index in the US tipped over 1,300 for the first time since May 2001.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Nikkei hit over 16,600 for the first time in more than four weeks on Monday.

While equities surged, the US dollar slid to beyond USD 1.21 per euro, as a expectations of another rate-rise in the US softened.