Economics / Markets

The FTSE has continued Friday's sharp rise in early trading - up 20.99 points (0.36%) at 5,791.97 - buoyed by the eurozone's agreement to offer a £30bn loan package to Greece.

The FTSE is heading for a sixth straight weekly gain amid speculation a bailout for Greece is imminent.

High-profile fund managers have labelled the upcoming General Election as "irrelevant", believing any result will do little to derail the UK stock market's strong recovery.

Interest rates have been kept on hold at 0.5% by the Bank of England.

The FTSE traded 56 points, or 1%, lower this morning at 5,705.49 after a downbeat assessment of the US recovery from former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan.

The management of the Government's strategy for helping people in debt has been branded a "complete failure" by a committee of MPs.

Former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan has defended his economic policy record at a US congressional hearing into the financial crisis.

The Eurozone economy failed to expand in the final quarter of last year, updated figures suggest.

Customers can move the price of beer and hot wings in a newly opened US bar, based on the market principals of supply and demand.

The UK's economy continued to grow in the first quarter, avoiding a double-dip recession, but the recovery remains weak, warns the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).