On Friday March 19th, the Financial Times 100 Index finally broke through its previous high and closed at a level of 7022.51, which is also twice the level of its low of 2009 in the aftermath of the financial crisis.
The recent introduction of quantitative easing by the European Central Bank, which is widely expected to keep interest rates low until 2016 at least, was cited as one main reason for increasing optimism among investors.