Investors weigh Union address

Blue chip companies were braced for another nervous day of trading today as investors reacted to President George Bush’s State of the Union speech.

The American leader used his speech at the House of Representatives early this morning to make further attacks on Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and making war seem ever more certain.

The FTSE 100 Index ended an 11-day losing streak yesterday, closing at 3490.0 - just 9.2 points ahead.