Markets: resource stocks drag FTSE 100 lower

• FTSE 100 down 0.7% to 5,912
• Gold down 0.45% to 1,104.05/oz
• £/$ - 1.4517

FTSE 100

Energy and mining stocks were once again the main drag. Royal Dutch Shell lost 5.7% as the price of oil continued to fall. Among miners, Anglo American fell 4.3%, BHP Billiton lost 3.2% and Antofagasta was 2.8% lower.

Sports Direct was the biggest single faller, down 15.3% after issuing a profits warning.

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In Europe, the Paris CAC 40 fell 1.6% to 4,333, and the German Xetra Dax lost 0.9% to 9,894.

In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1% to 16,346, the S&P 500 lost 1.1% to 1,922, and the Nasdaq Composite was 1% lower at 4,643.

In Japan, markets were closed for a public holiday. And in China, the CSI 300 slid 5% to 3,192, and the Shanghai Composite lost 5.3% to 3,016.

Brent spot was trading at $32.59 early today, and in New York, crude oil was at $32.38. Spot gold was trading at $1,101 an ounce, silver was at $13.96 and platinum was at $871.

In the forex markets this morning, sterling was trading against the US dollar at 1.4560 and against the euro at 1.3388. The dollar was trading at 0.9195 against the euro and 117.86 against the Japanese yen.

And in the UK, housebuilder Taylor Wimpey said it is operating on a record profit margin of over 20%, with the average selling price of its homes up by 8% in the last year to £230,000. It completed 13,341 homes in 2015, a rise of 7% on the previous year.