FTSE opens down ahead of GDP report

At about 9am the FTSE was down 16.97 points, or 0.30%, at 5735.01. GDP figures for the three months to September will be published by the ONS this morning. The economic recovery in Britain is expected to show a sharp slowdown, with most analysts predicting it will have expanded by just 0.4%. In Europe the German Dax was down 2.36 points, or 0.04%, at 6,636.85. The French Cac 40 was down 12.28 points, or 0.32%, at 3,857.72. US stocks rose to a five-and-a-half month closing high, as a falling dollar prompted investors to buy riskier assets. At the G20 meeting over the weekend,...