Empty hotel rooms wipe out FTSE gains

The benchmark FTSE 100 closed down 15.90 points today at 4,190.50 after this morning's gains were pared by losses made by hotel chains Hilton and InterContinental. Hilton Group shed 5p to 197p after it announced that first-half profit dropped 50% - hit by the slump in travelling. InterContinental Hotels Group also dropped 15.25p to 498.75p. BHP Billiton rose 8p to 411.5p, after it announced a six-fold gain in fourth-quarter profit on higher oil prices and iron ore, nickel and copper production. Man Group climbed 16p to 1,226p, after an analyst at Morgan Stanley r...