In the UK the FTSE 100 Index closed up 44.90 points at 5952.80 having earlier edged close to a five year high.
M&A activity involving Vodafone, BAA and the London Stock Exchange (LSE) has pushed the FTSE 100 Index closer to the 6,000 barrier in early trading today.
EVIDENCE THE mortgage market rebounded in the last six months of 2005 was provided yesterday by Bradford & Bingley (B&B) and Britannia building society, which both revealed they had lent record amounts, reports The Guardian .
Prudential has today announced it plans to delist Egg, its online bank, from the London Stock Exchange next month once it has bought back the remaining minority shareholdings.
THE FINANCIAL SERVICES Authority is looking at plans to scrap its anti-money laundering regulations which force banks and other financial services firms to bombard their customers for proof of their identification, reports the Daily Telegraph .
MOST OF THE newspapers are focused on the terrorist so any business and personal finance news to speak of is relates to business affected by the bombings.
THE BIG NEWS in the national press this morning is of course the results of yesterday's general election, which so far reduces the Labour Party's majority in the House of Commons to just 66 seats.
GERMAN FIRM Deutsche Börse has now abandoned its £1.3bn bid for the London Stock Exchange after weeks of opposition from investors and questions about its impact over UK regulation, reports this morning's Guardian newspaper.
The FSA has warned all parties and shareholders in the propsoed Deutsche Borse takeover of the London Stock Exchange to consider the deal carefully as it could in the long-term affect the regulation of UK shares.