Tobacco firms steady FTSE nerves

Friends Provident was the biggest loser with a drop of 1.9% to 194p, closely followed by Standard Life which ended down 1.76% to 293.75p, while miner Kazakhmys slipped 1.78% to £11.06. Plumbing firm Wolseley declined 1.88% to £11.99, while Cadbury Schweppes fell 1.53% to 610.5p, although losses were limited by supermarket chain Sainsburys which gained 2.44% to 556p. Imperial Tobacco Group posted the biggest gains with a rise of 4.86% to £23.30, closely followed by British American Tobacco which climbed 2.18% to £15.96, while Hammerson added 3.63% to £16, and Unilever advanced 2.76% to...