Leading shares have ended the day lower, as weak banking stocks overshadowed strong oil and mining companies.
The FTSE 100 has closed 29.2 points lower at 5877.6. It is a subdued start to the week after a sharp fall on Friday when the blue-chip index slid 88.5 points to its lowest level since April 14.
Crude oil fell slightly today to around $137 a barrel after reaching a record level of more than $139 on Friday.
Oil companies have dominated the FTSE 100 risers, with BP up 14p to 594.75p, Royal Dutch Shell A shares adding 40p to £21.37p and Tullow Oil, closing 18.5p higher at 919.5p.
Yet again banks were under pressure - half of the top 10 fallers in the FTSE 100 were banks.
Halifax Bank of Scotland was the the top faller, down 7% to 307.25p, followed by Barclays, which lost around 6% to 318.75p.
An announcement by Royal Bank of Scotland that 95% of its shareholders had subscribed to its record £12bn rights issue failed to reassure the City. RBS shares closed 5% lower at 234p.
Housebuilders were also under pressure today, as traders fear a wave of rights issues from the sector in repsonse to a rapidly deteriorating housing market. Barratt Developments, seen as the most likely candidate for a rights issue, fell 14% to 121p, making it the biggest faller in the FTSE 250.
