Rentokil warning drags down FTSE

Whitbread shares climbed 86 points (7.01%) to £13.12, while Aviva added 5.5 points (0.9%) to 615.5p. Rentokil initial shares plummeted after the firm confirmed its profits for 2008 would be below those of last year, down 24.5 points (23.33%) to 80.5p. Yell group shares fell 30.5 points (11.17%) to 242.5p. On Wall Street, markets fell considerably in early trading as gloomy economic figures emerged and unemployment rose and the Dow Jones dropped 126.1 points (0.99%) to 12,568.18. Just two stocks rose on the market in the early part of the day. Verizon added 0.99 (2.72%) to 37.38, whi...