Afternoon Markets: Dow unmoved despite upbeat jobs data

Positive US job figures failed to spur the Dow Jones in early trading on Wednesday.

Data suggesting private sector cutbacks are at a near 12-month low led the index to a marginal loss, dropping 3.86 points, or 0.04%, to 9,306.74. Pharmaceutical giant Merck is the bottom performer, falling $0.88, or 2.77%, to $30.91. However, workplace supply firm 3M and office technology provider Hewlett Packard are doing well following the employment statistics, advancing $0.66 to $70.78 and $0.29 to $44.16 respectively. In London, financials kept the FTSE below 4,800, the index dropping more than 23 points, or 0.48%, to 4,796.4. Aviva dropped 19.5p, or 4.81%, to 385.8p, while...