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 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 rose by 0.3%, or 14 points, to 5686.32 this morning, buoyed by fighting talk from British Sky Broadcasting.

Chancellor Darling said in today's Budget the Government will work with trade bodies to improve access to bond markets for large and mid sized companies.

Today's Budget announcement had a muted effect on UK-listed shares and the pound with many of Chancellor Darling's proposals already expected by the market.

The FTSE 100 was up 11 this morning at 5,613 points, with financials peppering both sides of the gainers and losers tables.

Financials rose this morning, but could not prevent the FTSE falling 0.2%, or 8.8 points to 5475.28.

The FTSE opened marginally higher this morning, rising by 18.7 points, or 0.4%, to 5333.79.

OPM Fund Management has upped the ante in its ongoing battle with Octopus Investments over rights to the acronym OPM.