UK's FTSE hits new record high as StanChart rises

* FTSE 100 rises to set new intraday high

* Canaccord upgrade boosts StanChart (HKSE: 2888-OL.HK - news)

* Airline IAG touches record highs

* Intu Properties (Other OTC: CCRGF - news) falls after results

* Lloyds edges higher after resuming dividend

By Sudip Kar-Gupta

LONDON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Britain's top equity index hit a record high on Friday, helped by gains in Asian-focused bank Standard Chartered (HKSE: 2888.HK - news) and International Consolidated Airlines Group.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index was up by 0.2 percent at 6,962.51 points going into the close of the trading session - slightly above a previous all-time high of 6,958.89 points hit on Tuesday.

The FTSE has benefited along with other world stock markets from economic stimulus measures unveiled by central banks, while signs of a UK economic recovery have also pushed the British stock market higher.

Steve Ruffley, chief market strategist at InterTrader, expected the FTSE to hit a record level of 7,000 points but added it could then fall back as uncertainty ahead of Britain's general elections in May kicked in.

"Buy every intraday low point of value you can find until we hit 7,000. After that, be wary of staying 'long'," he said.

Standard Chartered rose sharply for the second day in a row, advancing by 3.4 percent, after Canaccord Genuity (Other OTC: CCORF - news) raised its rating on StanChart to "hold" from "sell".

British Airways' owner International Consolidated Airlines Group also rose 3.2 percent and briefly set a record high after increasing its 2015 profit forecast.

However, Intu Properties Plc fell 4.3 percent, making it the worst FTSE 100 stock in percentage terms, after the shopping centre owner posted its third consecutive yearly decline in net rental income.

Royal Bank of Scotland (LSE: RBS.L - news) , which announced on Thursday further cutbacks to its investment banking operations and a 3.5 billion pound ($5.39 billion) loss, also weakened 4.1 percent after Societe Generale (Paris: FR0000130809 - news) downgraded RBS to "sell" from "hold" while JP Morgan cut its price target on RBS.

Yet RBS' rival Lloyds - which along with RBS was bailed out during the financial crisis of 2007-2009 - rose 0.9 percent after announcing its first dividend in more than six years. ($1 = 0.6494 pounds) (Additional reporting by Francesco Canepa; Editing by Toby Chopra/Hugh Lawson)