Poor housing figures send FTSE down

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In London, markets closed down after the Halifax released figures showing major problems in the housing market and the FTSE 100 dropped 41.7 points (0.69%) to 5,973.1.

BHP Billiton shares made the biggest gains, up 61 points (3.62%) to £17.46, while BT Group added 4.5 points (1.96%) to 234.25p after chief executive Ben Verwaayen announced he would step down. Saga group shares dropped 12.3 points (5.91%) to 195.7p, while the London Stock Exchange followed close behind after losing 76 points (5.5%) to £13.07. On Wall Street, markets fell in early trading following renewed concerns about the outlook for the US housing market and the Dow Jones lost 34.12 points (0.27%) to 12,578.31. American Express shares made the biggest early gains, up 0.65 (1.4%) to $4...

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