FTSE nervous on outcome of EU bailout meeting

The FTSE is hovering below 6,000 at the start of this week's trading, down 0.04% or 2.6 to 5,999.45, as traders await the outcome of today's eurozone finance ministers' meeting in Brussels.

At the meeting ministers will debate whether or not to increase the rescue fund, in light of concerns Portugal and Spain could be the next countries to ask for a bailout. Amongst the early leaders is BP, up 1.82% or 9.10 to 508.60p, as investors reacted positively to the group signing a deal with Russian energy firm Rosneft. BP says the deal will allow it to access billions of barrels of oil and gas in the Arctic. Meanwhile, Xstrata, Investec and Schroders have all opened lower. Elsewhere, in Asia the Nikkei ended trading at 10,499.04, down 0.9%, with investors remaining cautious a...