By Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- U.K. stocks and the pound climbed on
Thursday after a poll showed a lead for the camp against Scottish
independence, calming fears of a breakup of the union.
The FTSE 100 index added 0.1% to 6,836.40, which would be the
highest close this week. The pound (GBPUSD) rose to $1.6224, from
$1.6202 Wednesday afternoon in New York.
Scottish referendum: The slight optimism in London came after a
new survey on Scottish independence put the "no" vote back in the
lead, only days after polls indicated the battle was neck to neck.
According to a poll for the Daily Record, 53% of the voters prefer
Scotland to remain in the U.K., giving the pro-union camp a
six-point lead over the "yes" campaign.
Over the weekend, a YouGov poll had indicated a majority of
voters would support a separation. The uncertainty on the future of
the U.K. sent the pound and stocks sharply lower on Monday.
Movers: Shares of Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC (RBS) added
2% after the bank said it would relocate its holding company to
England in case of a "yes" vote for an independent Scotland.
Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LYG) also said it would move to
England if the union is broken, sending the shares 0.8% higher.
Shares of Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC inched 0.6% higher after
the food retailer reported a drop in first-half profit, but raised
its dividend and confirmed its full-year guidance.
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