The FTSE 100 index ended the day down 14 points by close of business, but this still left the market comfortably above the buffer zone at 4722.8 points.
The UK benchmark's major losses today were for the banks as Alliance and Leicester ended the day down 22.5p to 878p and Royal Bank of Scotland group also slid 24p to £16.96. In contrast, shares in HBOS skyrocketed today adding 30p to 806p, after announcing plans to buy back £750m of stock in 2005. Vodafone also lost ground today shedding 3.50p to 139.50p after the mobile phone operator saw its share potential cut by analysts who believe other European telephone stocks will perform better in the coming year. But Hilton Group also added 7.25p to 270.75p, while betting firm William Hill ...
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