FTSE hits four-month high as Standard Life leads risers

Standard Life has risen 5.5% in early trading after impressive interim results, helping push the FTSE 100 up 0.7%.

Shares in Standard Life, whose UK pre-tax profit rose 62% in the first half of 2012, stood 5.5% higher at 270.9p shortly before 9:30, making the group the biggest riser in the FTSE 100. London's blue chip index was up 0.7% at 5,871 at that time, the highest level since 3 April, as better -than-expected GDP data from leading eurozone nations also helped boost sentiment. Second quarter growth figures from Germany, France and Netherlands, though muted, all topped expectations ahead of the release of eurozone-wide figures later this morning. European indices also opened higher, France'...