FTSE 100

Executives of leading companies are secure in "a pensions ivory tower", with most directors able to retire before 65 with pensions worth 26 times more than their employees, claims new research from the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

The FTSE 100 has recovered from small losses yesterday to start the day's trading positively with gains of 9.2 points, or 0.17%, to 5,520.2, with Tate & Lyle leading the advance.

The FTSE 100 has surged through the 5,500 barrier to end the day's trading up 19.3 points, or 0.35%, to 5,517.2, as PartyGaming and buoyant insurers overshadowed weak utilities and miners.

The FTSE 100 has recovered from losses yesterday with early gains of 20.2 points, or 0.37%, to 5,518.1, with PartyGaming leading the advance.

The FTSE 100 has fallen 12.4 points, or 0.23%, to 5,486.5, with GlaxoSmithKline leading the decline after US regulators asked for new warnings to be put on asthma medications.

The FTSE 100 has jumped 38.9 points or 0.71% to 5,498.9 - a slight drop from its earlier gains which at one point reached 5,531.6, its highest point since August 2001.

Shopping, building and money seem to be the sectors affecting the UK's main stock market this morning, but the bigger stories of the day are to be found in the rise of Japanese stocks and new troubles for GM.

Sales are up at Sainsbury but it's not enough to keep analysts happy it seems, and Unilever has today gone ex-dividend so the FTSE is moving south in early trading.

The FTSE 100 ended trading today on a decline with a drop of 30.4 points, or 0.56%, to 5,439.6, thanks to a poor performance from Vodafone, although a rise in the US markets pulled back some of the losses.

The FTSE 100 has slipped 13.6 points, or 0.3%, to 5456.4, with Vodafone Group leading the decline after the company reported earnings which missed analysts' estimates.