Poor financials pound early FTSE

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The FTSE 100 is plummeting in morning trading, thumped again by a poor banking and finance sector. The index is currently on 6144.20, an 82.3 point drop, or 1.32%.

Its no surprise Northern Rock is leading the losses again as uncertainty continues for the lender – it’s currently 11.30 points down, or 11.65%, to 85.70. Alliance & Leicester is another financial to be hit hard, down 6.4% to 556. Daily Mail and General Trust is in freefall after investors reacted harshly to the appointment of Martin Morgan to chief executive. It is 9.71% lower so far, to 521. Fossil fuels are leading the gains, with natural gas company BG Group up 2.78% to 999, while Royal Dutch Shell is also ahead, its B share is 1.68% to 2001. In New York, the Dow Jones climbed in...

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