FTSE down 0.12% at open

Shares in London steadied at the start of trade on Wednesday after closing higher the previous day. The FTSE 100 index dipped 0.12 percent to 6,016.63 points in opening deals. Overnight Tokyo hit its highest close since the March 11 quake on optimism over the US outlook, but a cut in Portugal's debt rating to "junk" tempered sentiment. The Nikkei surged 1.10 percent, or 110.02 points, to 10,082.48, its highest finish since March 11 and the first time it has closed above 10,000 since May 2. In New York, returning Tuesday from a long weekend, the Dow fell 0.10 percent after surging 5.4 percent over the previous five sessions, its strongest week in two years. Moody's cut its rating on Portugal by four notches to Ba2 on Tuesday and warned it could go even lower due to a risk the country might need a second bailout after already receiving 78 billion euros ($112 billion) earlier this year.