FTSE under pressure as mining stocks slump

Mining stocks led a drop in the FTSE 100 today as falling commodity prices weighed on shares.

The FTSE 100 was down 0.35% at 6,565 by midday, leaving it up just 0.4% for the week as a whole. Commodities were particularly affected with mining stocks Anglo American, Vedanta, Fresnillo and Rio Tinto all suffering losses and featuring in the top five falling stocks. Anglo American was worst-affected with a fall of 3.12%. Copper and tin both suffered losses, with three-month copper futures falling by 1.53% to 7,060 and three-month tin futures dropping 1.93% to 22,360. US equities, meanwhile, look set to open higher despite underwhelming news on the health of the US consumer. ...