Media stocks fail to boost FTSE

Punch Taverns was the biggest loser with a fall of 3.68% to £12.56, closely followed by Drax which fell 2.63% to 784p, while Northern Rock slipped 2.23% to £10.53, and dropped 2.08% to 436.5p. Hanson also fell 2.04% to 841.5p, although losses were limited by Daily Mail and General Trust which slipped 2.62% to 862.5p, while BSkyB added 1.65% to end the day at 584.5p. However, Pearson posted the biggest gains with a rise of 4.59% to 901p, closely followed by Reuters Group which climbed 3.46% to 494p, while insurer Standard Life advanced 1.77% to 330.75p. In the US, the Dow Jones Indus...