* FTSE up 1.8 percent to new 2009 peak
* Oil, miners lifted by rising commodity prices
* Apple, Texas Instruments earnings eyed after market closes
By Jon Hopkins
LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Britain's top shares added 1.8 percent on Monday, lifted by gains in miners and energy issues as commodity prices rose on an improved demand outlook and investors looked towards further earnings news from the United States.
The FTSE 100 index ended 91.30 points higher at 5,281.54, a new peak for 2009 on the 22nd anniversary of the "Black Monday" stock market crash of October 1987.
Oil majors provided the main strength for blue chips as crude prices hit a year-high of $79.05 a barrel on Monday, rising for the eighth straight session.
BP, Royal Dutch Shell, BG Group and Tullow Oil all advanced between 0.6 and 2.7 percent.
"The anniversary of "Black Monday" passed without event as the FTSE continued to power ahead ... (and) strength in equities showed little sign of abating as demand remains robust," said Manoj Ladwa, senior trader at ETX Capital.
"Although mining and banking stocks are leading the march ... investors are happy to buy across the board, as long as the payoff is better than cash on deposit," Ladwa added.
Miners found support as metals prices rose on the back of a weak U.S. dollar and on hopes for improved demand as corporate earnings recover.
Anglo American, Xstrata, Fresnillo, Vedanta Resources, Kazakhmys and Rio Tinto added 1.9 to 4.8 percent.
The U.S. earnings season remained the major focus for investors seeking further signs of recovery in global demand.
Apple and Texas Instruments report quarterly earnings after U.S. markets close on Monday.
U.S blue chips were stronger by London's close, up 1.0 percent as investors looked to the next batch of earnings news for direction after some disappointments last Friday from Bank of America and General Electric.
Fund manager Schroders was the top UK blue chip gainer, up 5 percent as investors sought issues leveraged to an equity market recovery, with hedge fund Man Group up 3.0 percent, and London Stock Exchange up 3.6 percent.
Banks were positive thanks to gains in heavyweight HSBC, up 2.3 percent, while Barclays and Standard Chartered added 2.6 and 1.4 percent, respectively.
However, the part-nationalised banks were weak, with Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland down 1.2 and 0.2 percent respectively on cash call uncertainties.
AVIVA LIFELESS
Aviva was the biggest blue chip faller, off 1.5 percent after the life insurer said it expects to pocket 1.2 billion euros for future growth after the flotation of Dutch unit Delta Lloyd later this year, with investors concerned by what the insurer might do with the cash.
Telecoms firm Cable & Wireless was also a blue chip faller, down 0.2 percent after Citigroup cut its rating on the stock to "hold" from "buy" in a sector preview.
Among the mid caps, bus and rail group National Express jumped 10.5 percent higher after Stagecoach confirmed it has approached its rival about a possible merger in a deal which was valued by the Sunday Telegraph at 1.65 billion pounds. Stagecoach added 0.1 percent.
In a sign of improvement in the British economy, property website Rightmove said house prices in England and Wales rose for the first time in more than a year in October, buoyed by a dearth of properties coming onto the market.
However, in contrast to the upbeat view on the economy, Monetary Policy Committee member Adam Posen said in a newspaper interview on Sunday that the Bank of England must continue its policy of quantitative easing because the financial system has yet to recover fully.
In another negative assement of the prospects for economic growth, ahead of Friday's first reading for UK third-quarter GDP, the Ernst & Young ITEM Club's autumn forecast said British GDP growth will struggle to hit 1 percent in 2010, while showing weak growth in the second half of 2009. (Editing by David Cowell)