A high number of stocks trading ex-dividend balanced out rising commodity stocks yesterday to leave the FTSE 100 0.1% lower at 5,342.
Miners were boosted by higher metals prices and installed themselves firmly as the day's best performing sector, with Fresnillo, Xstrata and Lonmin all making good gains, while energy stocks made more modest progress on a slightly firmer oil price and weakening dollar.
The appointment of Wm Morrison's Marc Bolland as chief executive of Marks & Spencer ensured they were the day's biggest climber, with a rise of 5.9%; Morrisons, meanwhile, were the day's worst, dropping 4.9%.
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Europe
In Europe, the Paris CAC fell one point to 3,828; and the German Xetra Dax was nine points higher at 5,788.
US
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.1% to 10,426; the S&P 500 was unchanged at 1,110; and the Nasdaq Composite was 0.5% lower at 2,193.
Asia
In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 hit is lowest close since July, down 1.3% to 9,549; while the broader Topix index lost 1.5% to 837. The Topix is now 2.5% lower than a year ago. In China, the Shanghai Composite rose 0.5% to 3,320; and the CSI 300 added 0.3% to 3,642.
Commodities
Brent spot was trading at $78.23 early today, and in New York, crude oil was at $79.18. Spot gold was trading at $1,138 an ounce; silver was at $18.30 and platinum was at $1,435.
Currencies
In the forex markets this morning, sterling was trading against the US dollar at 1.6669 and against the euro at 1.1212. The dollar was trading at 0.6728 against the euro and 89.07 against the Japanese yen.
UK news
And today, the Office of National Statistics said that Britain's budget deficit for October stood at £11.4bn, the worst since records began and nearly ten times last October's figure of £130m. Analysts had been predicting a shortfall of around £7bn, but tax collected fell 9%, while spending increased 10.3%.
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