FTSE

EUROPE

Manager urges investors not to focus on short-term performance as trust returns 81% over year to 31 March in contrast to last year's declines

The Bank of England (BoE) today kept interest rates at a record low of 0.5% as uncertainty remains over who will govern Britain.

The FTSE 100 has soared in early trading, up 3.35% to 5294.55, as the markets took confidence from this weekend's €750bn rescue deal to defend the euro.

The UK's hung parliament on top of the Greek debt crisis weighed heavily on investor sentiment today as the FTSE plunged dramatically in afternoon trading.

The FTSE 100 jumped 53.6 points (1%) to 5,777.25 in early trading after Asian stocks rose overnight and concerns over a Greek default eased.

RISK MANAGEMENT

London's leading shares are showing slight gains this morning as a late recovery on Wall Street boosts investor sentiment.

The FTSE 100 was up by just 1.21 points at 5,724.64 in early trading as investors await government borrowing and retail sales figures due out later today.

Investec UK Smaller Companies reports top-quartile performance over three years