Financial News

LONDON (ShareCast) - 1630: Footsie (news) finished firmly in the red after dipping lower following a lacklustre day.

The decline came as the US consumer confidence guage showed a slump.

Miners ended the day prominent among the fallers as metals prices slipped. Gold miner Randgold Resources (LSE: RRS.L - news) and silver miner Fresnillo (LSE: FRES.L - news) were the bottom two stocks.

United Utilities (LSE: GB0006462336.L - news) is among the day's fallers despite announcing that the 4D consortium, in which it has a 40% share, has won a contract with Southern Water to manage the design and build of a new wastewater treatment works in Brighton and Hove.

Petrofac (LSE: PFC.L - news) finished in the top 10 after the oil and gas facilities provider said it has had a good start to the year and is confident 2009 will be another year of strong growth.

1530: Footsie has at last found some direction and is sharply lower in line with the US, which erased gains on the back of a slump in the consumer confidence guage. Fund manager Schroders (LSE: SDR.L - news) leads the fallers. FTSE 100 down 40 at 4,243.

1420: Footsie is still flat ahead of the US opening bell. Miners are now prominent among the risers, with ENRC leading the sector higher, helped by higher metals prices. Wolseley (LSE: WOS.L - news) is one of the top risers after the appointment of Ian Meakins as new chief executive. FTSE 100 down 3 at 4,290.

1320: The leading share index has failed to move significantly in either direction and currently sits just a few points in the red. Travel group Thomas Cook has overtaken plumbing supplies firm Wolseley at the top of the leaderboard. Barclays (LSE: BARC.L - news) gets a leg-up from Deutsche Bank (Xetra: 514000 - news) which has upped its price target from 220p to 365p. FTSE 100 down 12 at 4,281.

1150: Footsie is in indecisive mood again today and currently sits just in the red. United Utilities is among the fallers despite announcing that the 4D consortium, in which it has a 40% share, has won a contract with Southern Water to manage the design and build of a new wastewater treatment works in Brighton and Hove. Wolseley is one of the top risers after the appointment of Ian Meakins as new chief executive. FTSE 100 down 4 at 4,289.

1051: Banks are doing their bit to limit the losses on the blue-chip index. Barclays gets a leg-up from Deutsche Bank which has upped its price target from 220p to 365p while Lloyds Banking (LSE: LLOY.L - news) is still basking in the glow of Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS - news) 's upgrade yesterday. FTSE 100 is down 9 at 4,284.

0955: Footsie still sits slightly in the red, with water group United Utilities among the fallers despite announcing that the 4D consortium, in which it has a 40% share, has won a contract with Southern Water to manage the design and build of a new wastewater treatment works in Brighton and Hove. Among the risers is building supplies group Wolseley, which announced the appointment of Ian Meakins as new chief executive. FTSE 100 down 5 at 4,288.

0835: A bright start has faded quickly despite good showings by banks Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland (LSE: RBS.L - news) . Wolseley is the best performer on the appointment of Ian Meakins as new chief executive. Current chief executive Chip Hornsby has stepped down with immediate effect. Water groups United Utilities and Severn Trent (LSE: SVT.L - news) are the among the fallers. FTSE 100 down 14 at 4,280.