FTSE 100

Advisers are shunning plain vanilla equity funds investing in the developed world this ISA season, in favour of emerging market, absolute return and cautious managed strategies.

The FTSE 100 opened higher Tuesday, tracking strength overnight on Wall Street, as Legal & General (L&G) beat profit forecasts and lifted its final dividend payout by a third.

The FTSE opened down 0.44% at 5,625.38 despite gains by medical stocks after President Obama's landmark healthcare reforms were passed in the US.

Merchant Capital has launched its first kick out plan since establishing a structured product business earlier this year.

Andrew Wilkins, executive director of Catalyst Investment Group, says retail investors should make the most of investment choices previously only available to their institutional peers.

A decision by the US Federal Reserve to keep interest rates on hold boosted sentiment in London this morning.

The FTSE 100 was up 0.65% or 36.43 points to 5,630 early this morning as the rumoured RBS debt restructuring boosts financial stocks.

The FTSE 100 was down 0.11% to 5,619.21 in a quiet start to early trading with little company news and buyers largely sitting on the sidelines.

South African banking group Investec will join the ranks of the largest companies in the London market when it replaces Resolution in the FTSE 100.

CitiFirst, the retail structured product division of Citigroup, has pushed back the launch of its first open-ended fund, blaming platforms for the delay.