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.

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

Lloyds Banking Group is expecting to make a profit in 2010 after making losses of £6.3bn last year.

UK equities, emerging markets, global equities and income funds are the top four asset classes IFAs expect to be recommending to clients this year.

The FSA has warned of the "potentially catastrophic nature" of structured product counterparty risk to investors.

The High Court has authorised the administrator of former structured product provider Arc Capital & Income (ACI) to distribute remaining funds held by the company.

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.

Meteor Asset Management has walked away from negotiations to buy the structured products books of Keydata, Professional Adviser understands.

Website www.StructuredProductReview.com has logged its 1000th registered user.

First State Investments is launching offshore versions of its Asia Pacific and Global Emerging Markets funds.