FTSE down on miner declines

Shares pulled back further on Wednesday following a blow for miners and lacklustre performances on Wall Street and in Asia.

In early trading, London's leading index was almost 20 points, or 0.38%, lower at 5,685.56. A fall in raw materials prices weakened mining shares, with Kazakhmys, Xstrata, Eurasian Natural Resources, Rio Tinto and Anglo American all more than 2% down. Sentiment was also hit following disappointing results in the US and Asia. Improved consumer confidence across the Atlantic failed to translate into positive market activity, with the Dow Jones closing just five points higher at 11,169. Meanwhile, in Asia, stock markets were mostly lower with Tokyo's market giving up early gains. ...