The FTSE 100 index opened up 44.46 points, 0.5%, at 9,181.40. The FTSE 250 was up 168.19 points, 0.8%, at 21,944.77, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.12 points, 0.2%, at 761.60.

The S&P/ASX 200 closed 13.6 points lower, down 0.16%. On the surface, a quiet day's trade on the Australian share market today, with a narrow loss by the close. But, dig a little deeper, and there was ...