Dow Jones

The FTSE 100 was at 5599.81, a rise of 0.24% or 13.20 points in early morning trading following strong first quarter results from some groups.

The FTSE 100 opened lower in early trading, falling 0.24% or 13.76 points to 5740.09, despite a raft of positive earnings announcements.

The FTSE 100 fell 0.16% to 5,774.29 in early trading, despite British Airways shares rising this morning.

The FTSE has made modest gains in early trading, boosted by the buoyant performance of US stocks yesterday and strong economic data from China.

Miners rebounded from yesterday's falls to lead the way in early trading this morning, driving the FTSE 100 up 22.3 points (0.4%) to 5,784.

The FTSE 100 has opened 0.06% or 3.24 points lower to 5,774 in early trading as rises in retail stocks were offset by falling mining shares.

Dow Jones has licensed its new US Contrarian Opportunities index to Javelin Investment Management, to underlie an ETF on NYSE Euronext.

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.

Broker downgrades and companies going ex-dividend pulled the FTSE index 25 points, or 0.4% lower this morning.

The FTSE 100 was marginally up in early trading, by 0.06% or 3.41 points to 5,748, only a few hours before the Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to call a General Election for 6 May.