An opening fall on Wall Street has sent the FTSE 100 sharply lower after a fairly calm morning for the leading index.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average has fallen nearly 150 points, with technology shares under pressure after a downgrade of the semiconductor sector by Bank of America/Merrill Lynch analysts. Health insurers were also weaker after a new healthcare reform plan was unveiled on Wednesday.
London shares had been drifting lower but without much conviction before the US market opening. But the Dow's decline has sent the FTSE 100 down 73.80 points to 5268.33 at the moment.
Miners are still the main losers following a dip in metal prices, with Antofagasta the leading loser, down 52p at 889p. Silver miner Fresnillo fell 45.5p to 874.5p while Xstrata is off 52p at £10.75.
