UK mid-cap stocks hit all-time high after election result

LONDON (Reuters) - UK equity markets rose sharply in early trade on Friday, with the FTSE 250 mid-cap index hitting a record high, after a surprisingly strong election showing for Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives. Real estate, utilities and banks were among the best-performing UK sectors at 0711 GMT, with utility Centrica up 7.5 percent, housebuilder Persimmon up 7.3 percent and Lloyds Banking Group up 6.5 percent. "The surprisingly decisive result reduces uncertainty over the next government," Morgan Stanley analysts wrote in a note. (Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Lionel Laurent)