Markets: FTSE 100 closes at a record high

• FTSE 100 up 0.5% to 6,949
• Gold down 0.1% to $1,200.44/oz
• £/$ - 1.5454

Mining stocks were the best performers. BHP Billiton topped the index with a 6.2% rise, while Anglo American, Fresnillo and Antofagasta gained between 3.3% and 3%.

In European markets, the Paris CAC 40 rose 0.5% to 4,886, and the German Xetra Dax added 0.7% to 11,205.

In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5% to 18,209, the S&P 500 added 0.3% to 2,115, and the Nasdaq Composite was 0.1% higher at 4,968.

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Overnight in Japan, the Nikkei 225 fell 0.1% to 18,585, and the broader Topix index slipped one point to 1,507. And in China, the Shanghai Composite fell 0.6% to 3,228, and the CSI 300 slid 1.2% to 3,478.

Brent spot was trading at $58.80 early today, and in New York, crude oil was at $49.20. Spot gold was trading at $1,210 an ounce, silver was at $16.53 and platinum was at $1,168.

In the forex markets this morning, sterling was trading against the US dollar at 1.5518 and against the euro at 1.3637. The dollar was trading at 0.8788 against the euro and 118.78 against the Japanese yen.

And today, online retailer AO World warned that profits for the year to the end of March will be "slightly below market expectations". It said a temporary growth in sales from the publicity surrounding its share flotation a year ago distorted its projections for the year. Shares slid by over 45% in early trading today.

David Stevenson, former MoneyWeek writer and director of The Fleet Street Letter, believessilver could be about to start a record climb. Click here(capital at risk)to read about the three irresistible forces David believes could push the price of silver through the roof.