FTSE sets fresh record high on first trading day of 2017

By Helen Reid and Alistair Smout LONDON (Reuters) - FTSE 100 index hit a further record high on Tuesday, extending an end-of-year rally into 2017, with financials and commodities-related stocks leading the market upwards. The FTSE 100 ended 0.5 percent higher at 7,177.89 points as the London Stock Exchange reopened after a long weekend. The index ended 14.4 percent higher in 2016, outperforming major European bourses, as a weakening in sterling after Britain voted to leave the European Union hel