Morning Markets: FTSE follows Asia gains

The FTSE opened higher this morning at 5,555.68, up 28.52 (0.52%), following gains in Asia and the United States overnight.

Asset management company Schroders topped the leader board trading at £13.57, up 0.59%, after yesterday's full-year results revealed total assets under management rose to £148bn. Banking overall did well and shored up the index, with Standard Chartered and Barclays trading at 338p up 1.50%, and £17.25, an increase of 1.44%, respectively. Topping the losers' board was WPP Group, the world's largest advertising company, trading at 610p, down 2.24%, in the wake of its 2009 report which showed revenues fell 8.1% as a result of the ad market slow down. Elsewhere Vedanta, the beleaguered...