FTSE falls on Abbey rumours

The lender lost 5.75p to 482p as today’s Times reported Abbey may sell its life assurance businesses if it receives approval from the FSA. Reuters Group, the world's largest publicly traded provider of financial information, also fell 4.25p to 348.5p after analysts at Morgan Stanley cut the company’s recommendation from “overweight” to “equal-weight”. Mining stocks gained this morning. Rio Tinto, the world's third-largest miner, added 16p to 1,337p, and BHP, the world's number one mining company, rose 7.25p to 488.75p. William Hill dropped 8p to 538.5p. The betting chain announce...