The benchmark FTSE 100 is currently down about 17 points to 4,480 after UK stocks dropped for the second day paced by the banking industry.
Barclays lost 13.75p to 492.75p after shares started trading ex-dividend. HBOS fell 22p to 742p despite reporting its result for last year matched analysts' forecasts. The mortgage lender said net income rose 28% to £2.45bn last year compared to 2002. Standard Chartered shed 19.5p to 930.5p, continuing falls unleashed by the death of its biggest private shareholder. The market fears an overhang of shares if his heirs decide to sell the stake. In Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index gained 14.60 points to 10,658.73 earlier today, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 156.94 points to 13,599.47...
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