Aberdeen leads FTSE 100 lower as profit-taking weighs

Aberdeen Asset Management is the biggest faller in the FTSE 100 index on the first trading day of 2014, as investors take profits after a stunning run higher for the business recently.

Having risen around 30% last year on the back of impressive numbers and a well received takeover of Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP), the stock is today down 3.3% at 484p as investors take advantage of recent gains to lock-in profits. The wider FTSE 100 index has also started the year on a low note, falling 0.5% to 6,713 by mid-morning. Other top fallers include miners Anglo American and Rio Tinto, as well as Carnival, with the three businesses off 2.5%, 2.3% and 2% respectively. Elsewhere in Europe, markets are also weaker, with Germany's DAX down 0.5% and France's CA...