STocKS

The biggest FTSE 100 risers were Astra-Zeneca up 586.5p at 4666.5p, Sainsbury’s ahead 8.4p at 330.5p, William Hill up 8.1p at 348.1p and Shire ahead 76p at 3286p.

High-profile fallers in the top flight included Royal Bank of Scotland, which fell 7.7p to 295.5p, and Royal Mail after a drop of 8p to 511.5p.

The pound held on to recent gains against the US dollar and euro as investors awaited Tuesday’s publication of GDP figures for the first quarter of the year.

Economists are pencilling in a figure of 0.9%, which would take UK output within a whisker of its pre-crisis peak.

Sterling was flat against the US dollar at 1.68 and versus the euro at 1.21.