After a predictably quiet session, and a longer than usual closing auction, the FTSE 100 has finished 39.39 points lower at 4216.59.
BT clung on to the biggest fallers slot with a 6% fall to 131.5p, having gone ex-dividend. Many of the other fallers were financial stocks, with Legal & General shedding almost 4% to 68.5p and Old Mutual off by 3.6% at 50p.
Only 156m shares changed hands - a quarter as many as yesterday. Maybe City traders were doing their bit for the retail sector out on the high street instead.
As an illustration of the damage suffered by the stock markets over the last 12 months, the FTSE closed at 6479.3 this time a year ago.
And on that cheery note, we wish you a very merry Christmas.
