London shares close weaker
Leading shares ended weaker today, albeit above opening lows, reversing yesterday's gains in tandem with early falls on Wall Street as uncertainties over the UN arms mission to Iraq, and some poor US corporate news put equities on the back foot, dealers said.
At the close, the FTSE 100 index was 19.5 points weaker at 4,096.5, above an opening low of 4,070.7, but below the midday peak of 4,116.9.
All the broader FTSE indices were also lower, with the FTSE 250 index the worst off - down 39.1 points at 4,464.8.
Volume was solid, with 2.51 billion shares changing hands in 160,962 transactions.
On Wall Street, by London's close, the DJIA was 30.30 points lower at 8,456.27 while the Nasdaq composite was off 15.20 points at 1,378.50, both holding off earlier lows.
New York's slide reflected a mixed earnings report from the US's biggest retailer, Home Depot, which sparked concerns over the outlook for the holiday season.
