The FTSE 100 Index ended the day flat at 5,991 points today after Corus extended its gains on takeover rumours and Wall Street rallied having opened the day lower on inflation concerns.
Corus gained 11.24% to 94p on the back of reports it is in talks with Russian rival Evraz on a possible merger. But BP and Royal Dutch Shell came in weaker after crude prices slumped by more than $2 overnight as the April contract expired. BP fell 0.53% to 654p and Shell declined 0.71% to 1,809p. Miners fell back on a bout of profit taking after metal’s recent strong run. Xstrata fell 2.11% to 1,762p, Rio Tinto dropped 1.06% to 2,711p and BHP Billiton was 1.48% lower at 962p. And Aviva moved 2.18% lower to 830p after Merrill Lynch downgraded the life insurer to "neutral" from "buy" as...
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