Britain's FTSE sets fresh record high on first trading day of 2017

Britain's top share index hit a further record high on Tuesday, extending an end-of-year rally into 2017, with financials and commodities-related stocks leading the market upwards.

The FTSE 100 ended 0.5 percent higher at 7,177.89 points as the London Stock Exchange reopened after a long weekend. It set a record high of 7,205.45, rising above the peak reached at the end of 2016 after a 5.3 percent rally in December, its strongest monthly performance since July 2013.

The index ended 14.4 per cent higher in 2016, outperforming major European bourses, as a weakening in sterling after Britain voted to leave the European