World markets ascend last week

London markets notched up 10 straight sessions of gains amid hopes that the global economy is on the road to recovery. Miners were on fine form during the week with banking giants also helping to lift the FTSE 100 (UKX) higher by 11% since the start of the rally - its longest winning run since 2003. Wall Street was on a roll for much of the week, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing up above 9000 for the first time since January on Thursday, as sales of previously-owned US homes rose for the third month in June. Stronger results from the likes of Ford and Apple helped to fuel the positive momentum throughout the week. In Asia, the Nikkei finished the week on a high note after eight consecutive sessions of gains. Growth of 2.3% in the South Korean economy and better-than-anticipated results from electronics giant Samsung were the icing on the cake.