Britain's FTSE 100 hit a record high for a fifth straight session on Friday as investors cheered the Bank of England's dovish tone while the British economy grew more than expected in the first quarter of the year.

The London and Frankfurt stock exchanges hit record highs Thursday as the Bank of England kept its interest rate at a 16-year high but raised hopes of a cut in

A forecast and recession beating GDP figure of 0.6% today showed the UK’s strongest expansion in over two years. The Q1 estimate provided another boost to stock market confidence after the FTSE 100 index closed at a record last night.

London stocks wavered on Thursday as investors turned cautious ahead of the Bank of England's interest rate decision later in the day, while energy shares gave a boost to the benchmark index.

The latest updates on the FTSE 100 and London’s financial markets from City A.M.’s newsroom in the heart of the City of London. Thursday brought gains for the US stock market, with the S&P 500 rising by 0.