ONLY two companies in the FTSE-100 Index lost value after central banks indicated low interest rates are here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Following policy guidance from the Bank of England and the European Central Bank the top flight of shares rose more than 3%, or 191.8 points, to close the day at 6421.7.

The only two FTSE-100 fallers were Schroders, down 19p to 2236p, and BSkyB, off 1.5p at 812.5p.

In London, the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee, chaired by new governor Mark Carney, held the bank rate at 0.5% and left its quantitative easing programme unchanged at £375 billion, as widely expected.

But it surprised the City by issuing a note in which it said expectations of a rate rise to come next year were "not warranted".

The hint on interest rates put downward pressure on the pound, which fell more than 1%, or two cents against the US dollar to $1.51. Sterling also fell against the euro, to €1.17.

It was enough to help the markets cast aside earlier worries over eurozone debt fears and the turmoil in Egypt.

The mood had also been lifted earlier by encouraging news on the American economy, though with Wall Street closed for the Independence Day holiday there was not much direction from the US ahead of a key jobs report today.

Meanwhile, oil prices remained above $100 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange on worries that the volatile situation in Egypt could impact on the flow of oil through the Suez canal.

On the FTSE-100, easyJet shares were up by more than 3%. The low-cost airline said it carried 100,000 more passengers in June than in the same period last year, a 1.9% rise taking the total to 5.5 million.

The stock has risen more than three-fold in the last two years and climbed further today, up 47 points to 1367 points. Housebuilders did well on the FTSE-250 Index as a trio of positive updates reflected improving consumer confidence, the brighter economy and Government stimulus schemes. Taylor Wimpey, which said it would write back some of the value slashed from its UK business during the downturn, rose 6.8p to 103.8p, a gain of 7%.

Redrow surged 7% or 15.9p to 237.9p after it said pre-tax profits for the year to June would be ahead of City forecasts of between £52.2m and £61.6m.

Galliford Try completed the industry hat-trick when it said its results will break records.

Its shares were up 22.5p at 997.5p.

Shares in top-flight housebuilder Persimmon were also buoyant, climbing 53p to 1266p, a rise of more than 4%.

The biggest FTSE-100 risers were Royal Bank of Scotland, up 14.1p to 284.1p, Wolseley rising 155p to 3200p, Standard Chartered up 69p to 1496.5p and Rolls-Royce climbing 53p to 1191p.