FTSE up on banks and miners

Mining and banking stocks helped the FTSE 100 to a marginal gain in early trading on Thursday following recent heavy falls in the sectors.

At shortly after 8.30am, the index was up more than 11 points, or 0.26%, to 4,289.4.

Global Mining group Xstrata was among the biggest winners, advancing 24p, or 3.73%, to 667.5p, while Kazakhmys gained 2.7% to 645.5p and Fresnillo climbed 0.26% to 570p. Completing the set, Antofagasta advanced 2.29% to 602.5p.

In the banking sector, both Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Lloyds were going well. The former was up 1.35% to 37.5p, the latter up 1.79% to 68.3p.

Thomson Reuters was among the biggest fallers this morning, dropping 1.78% to £16.54, followed by Reed Elsevier, which fell 1.24% to 459.25p.

Meanwhile in Tokyo, shares fell again, declining further from last week's eight-month highs. The Nikkei 225 closed Thursday down more than 137 points, or 1.4%, at 9,703.7.

Overnight, the Dow Jones closed down for the third day in succession, losing 7.49 points, or 0.09%, to 8,497.18.