Next leads FTSE higher

Next leapt 6.63% to £22.35 after it reported a “solid” year, with profits up towards the top end of forecasts despite negative like for like sales growth in Next Retail. The ABN Amro merger story kept Barclays stock up for the third day in a row, gaining 3.72% to close at £7.39. Reuters jumped 1.79% to £4.56 after Morgan Stanley said it was maintaining its ‘overweight’ rating and increasing its price target to £5.24 from £4.84. Mining stocks also gained, with Antofagasta up 3.91% at £5.18, Rio Tinto up 2.14% at £28.65 and BHP Billiton up 1.37% at £11.06. Standard Life ended down 0.5...