In London on Thursday the FTSE 100 added 0.83 percent to 6,486.4 and the FTSE 250 was up 1.38 percent to 11,039.5.
Banks were higher on the 100.
HBOS (LSE: HBOS) gained 4.93 percent to 916p, while Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) was 6.32 percent higher to 193.5p.
Alliance & Leicester (LSE: AL) had the best day on the blue chip index as it added 8.46 percent to 795p.
Insurer Standard Life (LSE: SLET) was also higher, gaining 5.91 percent to 291.25p.
House builder Taylor Wimpey (LSE: TW) jumped 6.59 percent to 275p.
Over on the 250, online gambler PartyGaming (LSE: PRTY) put in the best performance as it added 7.41 percent to 29p.
Commodity-related sectors didn’t have as good a day.
Among miners, Aquarius Platinum (LSE: AQP; ASX: AQP; JSE: AQP) had the worst day on the 250 with a decline of 7.09 percent to £17.31.
Over on the 100, Vedanta Resources (LSE: VED) fell 2.47 percent to £20.57 and Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ) was down 1.69 percent to £14.55.
In the oil sector, Tullow Oil (LSE: TLW; OTC: TUWLY) was 1.93 percent lower to 585p.
JKX Oil & Gas (LSE: JKX) dropped 3.34 percent to 333p.
Caterer Compass Group (LSE: CPG) had the worst day on the 100, where it fell 2.97 percent to 310.75p.