Lenders, led by Lloyds Banking Group and NatWest Group, saw their shares carried higher on the back of UK inflation data softening, with the wider financial sector also seeing a boost.
UK consumer price inflation eased to 7.9% in June from 8.7% the previous month, while core CPI inflation dropped to 6.9% from the 31-year high of 7.1% the previous month.
“Investors are taking the view that if inflation is on a sustained downward path, then the Bank of England might be less eager to keep pushing up interest rates," said Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell.
"The market is desperate for that pivot moment where central banks call the end to the current rate rise cycle."
Lloyds, Natwest and Barclays PLC shares all rose more than 2%, even though they have benefitted from the rise in interest rates helping their profit margins.
Investors saw less impact for FTSE 100 banks with less of a UK focus, with HSBC and Standard Chartered shares up 0.5% and 0.3% respectively.
Challenger banks OSB Group PLC (LSE:OSB), Paragon Banking Group PLC and Virgin Money UK PLC (LSE:VMUK) rose 3.2%, 2.9% and 2.8%, respectively, while merchant bank Close Brothers Group PLC (LSE:CBG) was up 1.8% and Metro Bank Holdings PLC 0.85%.
Investment platforms Hargreaves Lansdown PLC and AJ Bell PLC (LSE:AJB) climbed 6.5% and 4.4%, while asset managers Liontrust and Ashmore saw a boost too.
Legal & General Group PLC (LSE:LGEN), the life insurer with a large asset management arm and sizeable exposure to commercial property, was up over 4%, while rival Aviva PLC (LSE:AV.) was up 1.3%.