Stock Watch ; Stocks and Shares

AN unenthusiastic FTSE 100 yesterday tumbled 85.9 points to close at 5448.6 following a swathe of heavy falls in the retail sector.

Heaviest hit yesterday was Enterprise Inns which, further to the news of plummeting beer sales several weeks ago, nose-dived 43.25p – eventually closing at 342.75p. Joining the chain were Marks & Spencer and Next which fell 29.7p to 266.5p, and 89.5p to 991.5p respectively.

Also prominent on the losers’ list was building supplier Wolsely after the brakes were hit on its fine run. The firm, which enjoyed several positive sessions, found its shares 37.7p down at 417p – a single-day fall of 8.3%.

On the winners’ list commodities producing firms swapped places with many of the day’s worst performers. Strongest climber was long- term admirer of Rio Tinto, Anglo American, which jumped 112p to a close of 2792p. Mining firms occupied the remaining top five spots with Kazakhmys 39p up at 1207p, Vedanta climbing 51p to 1749p, and BHP Billiton and Xstrata up 44p at 1512p, and 81p up at 2964p respectively.

Michelle Stansby Associate Director and Investment Manager Barclays Wealth

Winners.

& Losers Rio Tinto +123 to 4658 Anglo American +112 to 2791 Xstrata +81 to 2964 Vedanta Resources +51 to 1750 BHP Billiton +44 to 1512 AstraZeneca +43 to 2605 Kazakhmys +39 to 1205 Thomson Reuters +28 to 1509 Unilever +24 to 1506 Tullow Oil +18 to 696 Carnival – 105 to 1894 Whitbread – 102 to 1143 Standard Chartered – 98 to 1392 Hammerson – 9112 to 90012 Next – 8912 to 99012 London Stock Exch – 87 to 813 Land Securities – 70 to 1313 British Land – 6812 to 722 Schroders N/V – 5012 to 91112

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