hang seng

Asian markets rallied overnight as Moody's mulled raising the ratings of some Asian countries, while investors pinned their hopes on an EU summit to solve the debt crisis.

US and Asian markets were mixed overnight as fears Italy could become the next victim of the eurozone crisis grew.

London and European stock markets edged up as the G20 talks in Cannes continued on Friday, with Royal Bank of Scotland boosting the UK after climbing 5% on its profits update.

Asian shares suffered overnight and European indices plunged today as investors fretted over the lack of progress towards solving Europe's debt crisis.

London's leading share index has rebounded from yesterday's turbulent session, with investors finding value in depressed bank stocks.

The FTSE 100 dipped below the 5,000 mark this morning after a short-lived rally at the start of trading.

Commodities guru Jim Rogers is sticking with his bullish stance on China, despite a recent wave of negative sentiment and losses from Chinese equities.

The FTSE edged 0.1% lower to 5,853.66 points in early trading as company-specific news guided price moves.

The Shanghai Composite surged 2.9%, its biggest advance since mid-October, as China held interest rates steady despite rising inflation.

The FTSE edged slightly higher this morning, buoyed by upbeat earnings announcements from AstraZeneca and BAE Systems.