FTSE 100

The FTSE continued to make huge gains in afternoon trading, reaching its highest level since late March after the Federal Reserve unveiled its third round of quantitative easing.

The FTSE 100 gained more than 80 points in early trading while global markets leapt higher overnight, lifted by the Federal Reserve's latest round of quantitative easing.

Marlborough's Giles Hargreave has been moving up the market cap spectrum in his Special Situations fund to boost liquidity, following a wave of inflows.

For right or wrong, it is an incontrovertible fact that more and more investors, as well as their advisers, are making the shift to using passive funds as part of their diversified portfolios.

Asian markets continued the global stock market rally, following yesterday's unveiling of the ECB's bond buying plans, with some indices up 3.8%.

UK shares were once again lower this morning, extending yesterday's sharp losses as falls in Asia overnight impacted confidence.

Shares in Royal Bank of Scotland led the FTSE 100 lower in early trading after MPs criticised the bank over its IT failure in June.

Investors are preparing for a sell-off in equities if policy action in the US and Europe fails to be aggressive enough.

Gold miners and their peers helped push the UK's leading index higher today, enjoying gains as precious metal prices rose.

UK shares were making tentative moves higher in mid-morning trading, ahead of the Jackson Hole speech by Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke later today, with other markets also rising.