Fund managers weigh on FTSE

Man Group dropped 2.42% to £4.32 and Schroders fell 2.44% to £8.59. Ex-dividend stocks accounted for many of the fallers, as Diageo fell 1.48% to £9.30 and Scottish & Newcastle dropped 1.32% to £5.59. Next led the risers, up 7.57% at 18.34p, after it increased first-half earnings per share by 11.3%, saying sales remained volatile but had been lifted recently by the cooler weather. Marks & Spencer gained 2.60% to £6.11 in sympathy. In the US, the Dow Jones industrial average is up 9.53 points, or 0.08%, at 11,507.62 points, as crude oil prices rise and boost shares of energy comp...