Nerves about whether Greece will stave off default weighed on London’s leading shares index today.
The FTSE 100 Index pushed above the 5,900 mark before slipping back to close 14.3 points lower at 5,875.9 amid ongoing uncertainty over the outcome of protracted talks between Greece and its creditors.
Banking stocks lost much of their earlier gains, including Barclays, which fell 3.2p to 233.6p despite broker Citigroup describing it as the pick of the UK’s domestic banks. Lloyds Banking Group was 0.5p higher at 35.8p, while Royal Bank of Scotland was down 0.04p to 28.8p.
The top riser in the FTSE 100 Index was Reckitt Benckiser after full-year results showing an 11% rise in underlying profits came in slightly stronger than expected. Shares were 3% or 97p higher at £34.79.
In the FTSE 250 Index, shares in fashion retailer SuperGroup slumped 17% after weaker-than-expected shop trading in January prompted it to scale back profit forecasts. Shares were 120.5p lower at 579.5p.
The biggest Footsie risers included Essar Energy ahead 3.1p at 135.8p, Amec up 24p at £10.71 and Ashmore ahead 7.1p at 390.4p.
The biggest Footsie fallers were Weir Group down 66p at £19.84, International Power off 9.7p at 333p, Centrica down 8.2p at 294.5p, and Sage off 8.2p at 295.6p.
Elaine McLachlan, of investment manager and financial planning specialist Brewin Dolphin in Inverness, noted that among Scottish risers were Edinburgh-based electronics company Wolfson Microelectronics up 11.77% to 173.63p, Aberdeen-based specialist oil and gas advisory and investment company Parkmead Group up 5.17% to 14.5p and Plexus Holdings, which finished 3.43% higher at 105.5p.
Fallers included retail and educational interiors group Havelock Europe off 3.23% at 11p and Celtic FC down 3.08% at 31.5p.