FTSE opens higher
The FTSE 100 recovered slightly from last night's weak close, rising eight points to 4,513.32 in early trading.
FTSE opens higher" class="imageframe alignright" height="200" src="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/London+Stock+Exchange_1455_18964434_0_0_7019977_300.jpg" width="200"/>The FTSE 100 recovered slightly from last night's weak close, rising eight points to 4,513.32 in early trading.
Shares in tobacco and pharmaceutical firms, sectors popular as 'defensive' stocks, rose on the index, while miners continued to slide on falling metal prices.
By 08:34, British American Tobacco had climbed 2.58 per cent, followed by Barclays, up by 2.43 per cent.
Healthcare firm Smith and Nephew was also trading higher, up one per cent, while retailer Next continues to rise following its well-received sales figures release earlier this week.
British Sky Broadcasting fell furthest on the index this morning, down by 4.74 per cent, while food group Tate & Lyle fell 3.56 per cent.
Overnight, the Dow Jones fell 0.31 per cent ahead of employment data, expected later today to show job losses in 2008 were the heaviest since World War II.