The FTSE 100 opened slightly lower this morning after falls on Wall Street and in Asia, dipping 4.76 points (0.09%) to 5,493 in early trading.
Fund managers and life insurers lead this morning's early gains. Shares in Man Group rose 1.67% to 317p, while Schroders (non-voting) increased 1.34% to £10.58. Prudential was 1.19% higher to 637p. However, banks featured among the top ten fallers. Lloyds was down 1.18% to 55.31p, Barclays fell 1.14% to 313p, RBS dipped 1.12% to 34.39p and HSBC declined 0.78% to 722.70p. Royal Dutch Shell (B) is also weighing on the index, down 1.57% to £17.44. Meanwhile, Cadbury shares are flat in early trading as nemesis Kraft Foods increased its per share earnings expectations for 2009. In t...
To continue reading this article...
Join Professional Adviser for free
- Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
- Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
- Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
- Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
- Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
- Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes