FTSE down after US sell-off

The FTSE100 index of leading shares fell 16.85 points (0.4%) to 4,196.23 within minutes of opening. Following an announcement from Standard Life, saying it would use £100m in pre-tax profits to compensate customers for losses in its sterling fund, shares fell 4.02% to 197p. Banking shares fell again today as the heads of Britain's major banks prepare to speak to the Treasury Select Committee. Lloyds Banking Group dropped 6.22%, Royal Bank of Scotland dived 5.88% and Barclays followed with a loss of 5.47%. Reckitt Benckiser Group added 4.16% after increasing its dividend by 60% and f...