World markets slid today after an agreement on crucial austerity measures in Greece fell apart.
The FTSE 100 Index fell 43.1 points to 5,852.4 amid fresh fears that Greece would be unable to stave off a default.
The country’s coalition government had agreed further painful austerity measures, but the agreement unravelled when several members of the cabinet resigned after civil unrest in Athens.
Barclays shares rose 0.95p to 234.05p despite reporting a fall in pre-tax profits, and retailer Next joined it on the risers board after Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock from hold to buy and said the company’s continued control of costs should benefit it in the face of tough conditions. Its shares were up 14p to £27.33.
Meanwhile, Europe’s biggest regional airline Flybe posted flat revenues in the UK as it highlighted the tricky conditions that caused its shares to hit turbulence last month.
The figure confirmed last month’s warning that revenues would be significantly lower than it hoped and shares, which recently plunged more than 20% after the downgraded guidance, fell a further 1.3p to 63.3p.
The biggest Footsie risers were Tate & Lyle up 12.5p at 685p, Smiths Group ahead 18p at £10.50, Shire up 34p at £22.14 and Intercontinental Hotels ahead 18p at £13.97.
The biggest Footsie fallers were Man Group down 7.2p at 130.3p, Essar Energy off 6.3p at 129p, Kazakhmys down 53p at £11.24, and Anglo American off 113.5p at 2,746.5p.
Elaine McLachlan, of investment manager and financial planning specialist Brewin Dolphin in Inverness, noted that among the Scottish risers were software and computer services firm IndigoVision up 4.5% to 332.5p and oil exploration and development company Xcite Energy rising 4.1% to 94.4p.
Fallers included Royal Bank of Scotland down 3.1% to 27.9p and fibreglass insulation manufacturer Superglass off 2.4% at 18.5p.