Some late news, again from the financial sector, with insurer Resolution unveiling fresh delays to its takeover by Pearl.
Resolution has ended the day down 17p, or 2.5%, at 663p after saying: "The acquisition is not now likely to be effective by mid March." It promises more details on timing once it knows more about change of control proceedings.
After a quiet day on the corporate earnings front - with Lloyds TSB at least providing some excitement - the FTSE 100 has ended down 43.7 points, or 0.7%, at 5888.5. Lloyds has lost the top spot to Alliance & Leicester on speculation the former may runs its rule over the latter. Lloyds is up 4.8% at 457.5p, A&L is 6.4% higher at 510p.
Finally, British American Tobacco got an afternoon boost from the news that it had won an auction to buy Turkish state cigarette company Tekel with a $1.72bn bid.
The deal will hike up BAT's share in the Turkish market - the world's eighth largest for cigarettes - to 36% from 7% now. That gives the cigarette maker the number two spot in Turkey, where some 110bn cigarettes were smoked in 2007. Around 38% of adults there smoke but a cloud on the horizon is the country's recent decision to ban smoking in public places.
BAT shares got a late fillip from the news and ended up 16p, or 0.9%, at £18.74.
