Banks led London’s blue chip shares index lower today as investors waited for further details about the eurozone rescue plan.
The FTSE 100 Index was down 11.6 points at 5,702.2, as it surrendered earlier gains, with taxpayer backed Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland among the biggest losers.
Lloyds was the biggest loser, down 5%, or 1.9p at 35.2p, while Royal Bank of Scotland was down 1p at 26.3p. Barclays, which had been up 3% in early trading, fell 4%, or 8.8p at 201.2p. Only HSBC defied the trend, up 10p at 565.3p.
In corporate news, advertising giant WPP was slightly higher, up 11p at 688p, after the company reported a rise in third quarter revenue.
Outside the top flight, shares in car dealership Lookers were up 1%, despite it reporting a 10% drop in private new-car sales as plummeting consumer confidence weighed on the business. Shares were up 0.8p at 54p after it said its figures were in-line with expectations.
The biggest Footsie risers were Essar Energy up 15.3p at 326.4p, G4S ahead 6.5p at 246.6p, ICAP up 11.3p at 432.6p, and Randgold Resources ahead 180p at £70.40.
The biggest Footsie fallers included Man Group off 7.5p at 153.4p.
Steven McKay , of investment manager and financial planning specialist Brewin Dolphin in Aberdeen, noted that the day’s fallers also included Xcite Energy, off 2% at 124.625p. Risers meanwhile included Amec, up 1.5% to 947.5p, and Stagecoach which finished the day 2.1% ahead at 248p.
The price of Brent crude oil fell nearly 2% to $110.10.