The FTSE 100 Index put aside jitters over Hurricane Rita today to surge back above the 5400 level.

A pledge by pubs group Enterprise Inns to return cash to investors put the London market on track to end the trading week on a high.

UK financial services group Old Mutual vowed to press ahead with a £3.3bn (€4.9bn) offer for Skandia today, despite failing to win over the insurer’s board.

Insurers and oil stocks ensured the London market regained its feelgood factor today and buried the memories of two straight weeks of losses.

UK financial services group Old Mutual was today looking at ways to keep alive plans for a £3.1bn (€4.6bn) takeover of life insurance company Skandia.

A buoyant performance by telecoms stocks ensured the FTSE 100 Index held on to early gains today to wrap up a positive end to the week.

Top flight shares ended the week lower than they started it after falling commodity prices reduced the value of mining stocks.

Dublin company FINEOS has announced that Fortis Benefits Insurance Company, one of the Top Five disability providers in the US, has gone live with its claims management solution, FINEOS Disability Claims Manager.

The Irish based enterprise solutions company Fineos has announced that Skandia is to implement its CRM and workflow solution in Denmark.