Dow Jones

As US markets opened, the Dow Jones slipped slightly, down 0.03% to 8328.95 points following a strong rally yesterday on the back of hopes for an economic recovery.

The FTSE 100 has opened on a positive note this morning after strong performance in the US yesterday.

Financials dominate the top spots on the Dow Jones this morning at the start of a week when a number of high profile earnings reports are due.

The Dow Jones slipped in early trading as worries increased over earnings and the state of the US economy.

The FTSE 100 dipped closer to the 4,000 mark this morning, with miners again dragging the index down.

The Dow Jones has risen 23.84 points (0.58%) to 8183.40 after the US aluminium giant Alcoa revealed better than expected results.

In London, markets climbed in early trade as insurers recovered from major losses on Wednesday. The FTSE 100 added 16.26 points (0.39%) to 4,156.49 by 8.20am.

The Dow Jones has risen 35.52 points (0.44%) to 8199.12 as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted worldwide economic growth will recover to 2.5% in 2010.

The FTSE 100 has slipped 12.59 points (0.30%) to 4,174.41 this morning after a rocky day on Wall Street which saw the Dow Jones shed triple-digit losses of 161 points (1.94%) closing at 8163.60 points.