Construction firm gains hold while FTSE struggles

The FTSE 100 index has since fallen around 50 basis points, but the FTSE 100 fell 0.1% to 4571.6 within the first hour of trading and the FTSE All-Share index was close to 2262. HSBC Holdings dropped 7p or 0.8% to 876p in that first hour after the FT reported its HFC division could face potential lawsuits for breaches of the Data Protection Act. In the building trade, RMC, the world's largest maker of ready-mix concrete, leapt 43% to 256p after signing a deal to buy Cemex SA, the world's third-largest cement maker. And Hanson gained 15.75p or 4% to 406p. In Asia, markets didn’t ...