Miners drive FTSE higher, Barratt soars

FTSE 100 gains 0.64 pct * Miners rally as gold advances; M&A in focus * Barratt Developments soars 25 pct, Polaris raises stake By Patrizia Kokot Britain's leading share index rose in midday trade on Monday, driven higher by miners and heavyweight oil stocks as commodity prices rebounded. Housebuilders grabbed the spotlight after traders said Polaris Capital Management raised its stake in Barratt Developments , which jumped more than 25 percent. Barratt Developments said in a statement Polaris had reached a threshold of a 6 percent stake and declined to comment further. By 1044 GMT, the FTSE 100 <.FTSE> was up 35.4 points, or 0.64 percent, at 5,524.1 points, adding to a 2.5 percent gain in the previous week. Oil heavyweights BP and Royal Dutch Shell rose 1.4 and 1.8 percent respectively on the back of... [read full story]