FTSE 100

European markets were flat in mid-morning trading today as investors paused for breath amid fresh rumours Spain is about to request an official bailout.

Poor interim results from Vodafone have pushed the FTSE 100 down 0.9% to a two-month low in morning trading.

US stock markets saw a third consecutive day of losses following Barack Obama's victory in the presidential election this week.

The Dow shed more than 300 points in yesterday's session as investors questioned re-elected President Barack Obama's commitment to dealing with the US fiscal cliff.

The FTSE 100 is approaching an 16-month high today as investors around the globe welcomed Barack Obama's US election victory.

CONTRARIAN

UK equities have been surprisingly resilient this year, with the FTSE 100 and the FTSE All-Share each posting gains in the face of a raft of macroeconomic uncertainties.

Shares in BG Group have slumped 19% this morning after the oil and gas giant said it does not expect any production growth next year.

Mining stocks and oil giant BP provided a lift for London's FTSE 100 today as a huge storm hit the eastern United States, keeping Wall Street closed for a second day.

BP has raised its dividend by 12.5% to 9c a share, but reported a fall in profits in the third quarter.