Markets: commodity stocks drag the FTSE 100 down

• FTSE 100 down 0.3% to 6,740
• Gold up 0.42% to $1,158.55/oz
• £/$ - 1.4744

Commodity and energy stocks were the worst performers. Tullow Oil and BHP Billiton were the biggest fallers of the day, each falling 3.2%. BG Group lost 3.1%, Glencore fell 2.9% and Royal Dutch Shell was 2.3% lower.

In European markets, the Paris CAC 40 rose 0.5% to 5,010, and the German Xetra Dax added 0.9% to 11,901.

In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.8% to 17,749, the S&P 500 lost 0.6% to 2,053, and the Nasdaq Composite was 0.4% lower at 4,871.

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Overnight in Japan, the Nikkei 225 slipped eight points to 19,246, and the broader Topix index lost 0.1% to 1,558. And in China, the Shanghai Composite rose 2.35 to 3,449, and the CSI 300 added 2.4% to 3,705.

Brent spot was trading at $54.07 early today, and in New York, crude oil was at $44.44. Spot gold was trading at $1,160 an ounce, silver was at $15.71 and platinum was at $1,114.

In the forex markets this morning, sterling was trading against the US dollar at 1.4789 and against the euro at 1.4034. The dollar was trading at 0.9489 against the euro and 121.32 against the Japanese yen.

And US private equity firm Blackstone has invited bids for its Center Parcs holiday village business, according to the Independent. Sovereign Wealth Funds from Singapore and Abu Dhabi are reported to be considering bids of up to £2.5bn. Center Parcs made a profit of £147m last year.