The FTSE 100 Index ended the week on a sour note today as heavyweight oil and financial stocks put a drag on the market.

The FTSE 100 Index has fallen into negative territory, slipping back from early gains made on the back of strong overnight progress in Wall Street.

London's FTSE 100 Index has shed more of the gains achieved in recent sessions as a clutch of blue-chip stocks headed south.

Engine maker Rolls-Royce and insurer Royal & Sun Alliance were tonight granted a swift return to London’s prestigious FTSE 100 Index.

Investors were rattled by further uncertainty over Iraq today as London shares slumped more than 100 points during another depressing session.

THE FTSE 100 Index enjoyed its best day for almost three months today as the value of Britain’s biggest companies soared

The FTSE 100 Index enjoyed its best day for almost three months today as the value of Britain’s biggest companies soared by £42bn (€66.5bn).

London shares - feature movements at 10.00 am

The FTSE 100 Index is ahead just 5.3 points at 5258.6 at lunchtime.

The Footsie has closed down 22.5 points at 5050.8 as telecom stocks took a battering.

The FTSE 100 Index is nearing a four-month low at mid-morning, falling 46.8 points to 5026.5.

The FTSE 100 Index is being pushed down towards the key 5,000 mark again, falling 36.6 points to 5036.7 after an hour's trading.

The FTSE 100 Index of leading stocks is up 53.4 points at 5077.5 at mid-morning, nearly reversing yesterday's 68-point slump.

The FTSE 100 Index appears to have shaken off yesterday's woes, gaining 41.4 points to reach 5130.7 after an hour's trading.

The FTSE 100 Index closed down 42.1 points at 5089.3.

The FTSE 100 index has fallen 60 points to 5071.4 by lunchtime.

Britain faces ‘‘slow economic decline’’ if it does not join the euro soon, a group of business leaders warned tonight.

The Footsie index of 100 leading stocks is up 45.2 points at mid-morning to stand at 5077.9, having pulled back from an earlier 35-point fall.

Few shares in the FTSE 100 Index have made any headway as the index tumbles towards its lowest close for nearly three years.

The London market is in positive territory as tech and telecom stocks enjoy a rare bout of buoyant trading.

The Footsie index of 100 leading blue-chip stocks is off 7.1 points after an hour's trading to stand at 5410.5.

Telecom stocks have bounced back helping the FTSE 100 Index enjoy a small rise in early trading.

Early gains on the Footsie 100 index have evaporated by mid-morning, leaving it down 19.4 points at 5389.3.

A rise in tech shares helped the London market start the week on the front foot today, shrugging off losses on the US markets on Friday night.

London shares have ended the week on a high note despite bad news from overseas.

The Footsie index of 100 leading stocks is off 73.8 points by lunchtime to stand at 5402.7, having fallen by more than 90 points in the first hour of trading.

The FTSE-100 Index has closed up after some rare good news from the US helped lift the London market.

The Footsie index of 100 leading stocks is finding the going tough as telecoms stocks again depress the London market.

The FTSE-100 Index has recovered from a sluggish start to move up 27.0 points to 5692.7.

The FTSE-100 Index has emerged unscathed despite another battering for beleaguered tech and telecom stocks.

Poor news from overseas technology companies has hit the FTSE-100 Index, which has lost 47.8 points.

Shares in London are edging downwards, with the FTSE-100 index of top shares losing 14.9 points in early trading.

Overnight falls on the US stock market have helped to knock the FTSE-100 Index down by 36.3 points.

The Footsie index of 100 blue-chip stocks has recovered from an earlier 30-point fall to stand 0.4 points ahead of its opening price at 5796.5 by lunchtime.

The Footsie index of 100 leading stocks is off 20.5 points by 9am to stand at 5775.6, with technology and telecoms shares once again feeling much of the pressure.

The FTSE-100 Index is falling heavily as tech and telecom stocks continue to slide.

Trouble in the tech and telecoms sectors continue to cut away at the FTSE-100 Index, which has so far dropped 86.1 points.

Tech and telecom stocks were under pressure today as the FTSE-100 Index continued to fall away from the 6,000 barrier.

Vodafone is the one of the most significant companies in the FTSE-100 index so, when it suffers, the Footsie does too.

Tech stocks are coming under pressure on the London Stock Exchange after fibre-optic component maker Bookham disappointed the City with its first-quarter results.

The London market is holding its ground despite a disappointing session for tech and telecom stocks.

The FTSE-100 Index is down 41.9 points in thin trading as traders cash in on the rally in tech and telecom stocks.

Profit warnings from two of the world's largest companies are rocking shares on the London Stock Exchange.

The Footsie index of 100 leading stocks has fallen 93.6 points by mid-morning to stand at 5673 as technology and telecoms shares go into freefall.