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* FTSE 100 down 0.1%, FTSE 250 adds 0.2%
Feb 5 (Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 was set to record a
weekly gain of 1% on Friday, after falling for three consecutive
weeks, as corporate earnings improved and faster vaccine
rollouts supported optimism around a quicker pace of economic
revival.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index .FTSE dipped 0.1% on Friday
but was on pace to gain 1.06% for the week with banks
.FTNMX8350 and travel .FTNMX5750 stocks being the top
gainers. The mid-cap index .FTMC gained rose 0.2%.
The Bank of England gave British lenders at least six
months' breathing space on Thursday before negative interest
rates are a possibility, focusing instead on the prospects of a
post-lockdown rebound. Progress in vaccine distribution and expectations of a large
stimulus by U.S. President Joe Biden's administration helped
global markets trade near their record highs. MKTS/GLOB
Insurer Beazley BEZG.L jumped 7.2% and was the top gainer
on the mid-cap index after it said it was confident of returning
to profitability in 2021.