BP slump weighs heavily on FTSE

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The FTSE 100 has opened poorly with a drop of 19.3 points, or 0.35%, to 5,511.8, weighed down by weakness in BP, after the Kuwaiti government said it was reducing its stake in the oil major by a hefty 185 million shares.

BP has dropped 7p, or 1.08%, to 644p, after the Kuwaiti government's investment agency said late on Thursday it was cutting its stake in BP. Shares in the London Stock Exchange has itself lost ground, falling 2p, or 0.33%, to 610p, after it rejected a possible offer from Macquarie bank at a discount to the current share price, saying it was derisory. Elsewhere, telecoms firm BT has edged up 0.3%, buoyed by an upgrade from investment bank Goldman Sachs, while online gaming firm PartyGaming is continuing Thursday's advance with gains of 4p, or 2.94%, to 140.25p, triggered by news it exp...

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