FTSE hits record high on first trading day of 2017

By Alistair Smout LONDON (Reuters) - FTSE 100 index rose to a record high on Tuesday, extending an end-of-year rally into 2017, led by InterContinental Hotels . Britain's FTSE 100 was up 22.50 points, or 0.3 percent, at 7,165.33 by 1012 GMT, as the London Stock Exchange re-opened after a long weekend. Weakness in sterling after Britain voted to leave the European Union has helped to support British stocks, especially those with international exposure in dollars.