FTSE ends higher; 3i Group leads after strong earnings

By Atul Prakash LONDON (Reuters) - The FTSE 100 index ended higher on Thursday, with encouraging updates from companies such as 3i Group supporting the broader stock market. Private-equity group 3i rose 3 percent, the biggest gain in the FTSE 100, after it reached the end of a three-year restructuring with strong earnings growth at its portfolio companies. The FTSE 100 finished 0.3 percent higher at 6,973.04 points after falling earlier in the session following weaker commodity stocks.