S&P 500

Global equities climbed overnight as poor growth figures from the US allayed fears the Federal Reserve will soon slam the brakes on its stimulus programme.

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The FTSE 100 has halted its two-day slide as investors buy back into equities following yesterday's sharp sell-off, with Lloyds and other financials leading the pack.

Markets across the globe tumbled overnight after the US Federal Reserve announced it may slow down asset purchases by the end of the year.

US markets followed shares across Europe higher overnight, while the dollar also surged, ahead of the latest Federal Reserve meeting in the States which may map out a QE exit strategy.

Gordon Grender, manager of the GAM North American Growth fund, is holding a fifth of his portfolio in cash as he struggles to find attractive valuations in the US market.

Wall Street rallied at the start of the session today after non-farm payroll numbers from the US beat expectations.

Wall Street extended losses on Wednesday as fears deepened that the Federal Reserve will pull back its quantitative easing programme.

US markets dipped at opening on Friday following worse-than-expected consumer spending, rounding off a down week which has seen some of the heat come out of equities.

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