Morning markets: Miners send FTSE upwards

The FTSE opened higher at 5123.14, up 17.69 points (0.35%), helped by mining companies rebounding from recent losses.

Eurasian Natural Resources topped the board at 895p, up 29 points or 3.41%, while Antofagasta is trading at 872p (up 2.47%) after Citigroup Inc. raised its recommendation for the copper producer to 'buy' from 'hold'.

Kazakhmys is at £10.85, representing a 24 point (2.26%) increase, while Rio Tinto is at £31.38, up 2.10%, after the Sydney-traded shares climbed with metal prices.

Schroders NV headed up the losers' board, trading at £10.12, down seven points. Elsewhere Diageo is trading at £10.78, down seven points (0.65%) while Sainsbury's fell 0.62% to trade at 330p.

The Dow Jones rallied on Thursday making it three straight days of gains for the index, which closed higher at 10138.99, up 120.71 points (1.20%). Investors welcomed a bigger-than-expected drop in jobless claims and a rise in the euro.

The top three Dow gainers were Du Pont, McDonald's Corp and American Express.

With 29 of the index's 30 companies moving higher, Intel was the only loser, trading at $20.10, down 0.04 points, (0.21%) after Auriga USA LLC reduced its share-price estimate, citing "overly optimistic" second- quarter earnings forecasts.

Japanese shares rose slightly on Friday, with the Nikkei closing higher at 9585.32, up 49.58 points, consolidating sharp gains made in the previous session.