(MENAFN- ProactiveInvestors) London’s FTSE 100 continued to tick down as gold hit a seven-week-low and shares continued to struggle.
The benchmark equity gauge briefly touched its all-time high early on but had eased towards midday.
Ahead of the Wall Street open the FTSE 100 is down 24.62 points at 6890 – still only 40 points shy of December 1999's all-time closing high of 6930.
Traders are still focused on the unfolding Greece-EU debt saga despite news of a four-month Greek bailout extension agreement.
The debt deal means safe-haven gold has lost out. An ounce of the metal at US$1196 hasn’t been this cheap for seven weeks and () shares are lower today down 112p to 4905p.
() () and () are also down.
Oil stocks softened too with Shell () and both 1% lower as Brent crude was left around the US$60 a barrel mark.
Meanwhile () the second largest member of the index is still weighing the share gauge down.
Shares in the lender continued to struggle at the mid-way mark down 5.8% after it said 2014 was a "challenging year" and reported a 17% fall in profit.
As Augustin Eden of Accendo Markets pointed out - when the first paragraph of your report cites ‘significant items including fines settlements and UK customer redress’ impacting revenues and costs - it doesn’t bode well for the rest of the report.
Overall the FTSE 100 is 24 points lower at 6890.
On the plus side shares in (LON:LLOYD) rose 1.2% to 78p after the government sold a 1% stake in the bank reducing its holding to 23.9% from 24.9%.
Airlines headed higher with BA owner IAG (LON;IAG) and EasyJet (LON:EZY) making gains.
FTSE 250 housebuilder () hiked its full-year dividend by 159% after a surge in profits in 2014 helped by a record year for legal completions.
Insurance claims processor Quindell () said discussion about the disposal of its professional services division continue with Aussie firm Slater & Gordon.
The sort of numbers being talked about imply a significant premium to the company’s market value as at Friday’s close. Shares in the first climbed 22% today.
Investors cashed out of () with shares down 6.3% to 114p on reports that it will close around 50 betting shops due to tax rises and regulation.
In the AIM world Mart Resources () said it has launched a review of its strategic options which may include the sale of the company or a merger.
() shares were up 22% after it told investors it had licenced its proprietary AmmLeach technology to an Australian miner.
() has hailed written confirmation that its mining lease over the Block VI of the Thar Coalfield in Pakistan has been restored. Shares are 18% higher.
() advanced 5% as it confirmed the Douar Ouled Balkhair 1 (DOB-1) exploration well will be a future producer as it flowed gas in testing.
() told investors that drilling has now begun for the Kiln Lane exploration well in northeast Lincolnshire. Shares climbed 9%.
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