FTSE 100 index opens down on miners and oil companies
The FTSE 100 index opened lower this morning, led by mining and oil companies which extended losses made yesterday.
The UK's top blue-chip index opened 0.51 per cent lower at 6,280 points, with BHP Billiton and Glencore leading the pack lower. The pair fell 1.47 per cent to 764.8p per share and 1.57 per cent to 91.7p per share respectively, while Anglo American wasn't far behind, dropping 0.75 per cent to 304.p per share.
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Rio Tinto also fell 1.14 per cent to 1,956p per share.
And after some very brief respite yesterday, oil prices fell again as a weaker outlook dominated. BP fell 1.59 per cent to 354.98p per share, while BG Group fell 1.2 per cent, dropping to 993.25p per share.
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Royal Dutch Shell, meanwhile, fell 0.66 per cent to 1,568p per share.
Barclays also dropped 0.46 per cent to 221.45p per share after the announcement that the bank will have to pay penalties of $13.75m in the US.