Dow Jones

The FTSE was flat in early trading this morning at 5345.24 points as Europe's markets regained some composure after going into temporary freefall over the past two days.

The FTSE was off 0.83% at 5365.96 points this morning despite the largest miners regaining some of the ground they lost yesterday.

The FTSE 100 plunged 1.95% this afternoon as miners continued to weigh on the index following Australian plans to levy a 40% tax. The index fell 108.4 points to 5,444.89.

Miners fell sharply this morning on news the Australian Government plans to introduce a new 40% tax on resource projects from July 2012.

The FTSE was steady at 5620.88 points this morning, despite rating cuts from brokers and a downbeat assessment on the UK economy by a major think-tank.

The FTSE rose 0.6% to 5619.92 by 3.45pm today, buoyed by a flurry of positive announcements across sectors.

The FTSE 100 opened lower in early trading, falling 0.24% or 13.76 points to 5740.09, despite a raft of positive earnings announcements.

The FTSE 100 fell 0.16% to 5,774.29 in early trading, despite British Airways shares rising this morning.

The FTSE has made modest gains in early trading, boosted by the buoyant performance of US stocks yesterday and strong economic data from China.

Miners rebounded from yesterday's falls to lead the way in early trading this morning, driving the FTSE 100 up 22.3 points (0.4%) to 5,784.