The FTSE 100 is slightly down with a drop of 2.6 points, or 0.04%, to 6,336.8, although it has recovered from heavy early losses as the merger between Taylor Woodrow and Wimpey has sparked interest across the housing sector.
Property company Persimmon is posting the biggest gains with a rise of 3.36% to £14.47, closely followed by Hammerson which is up 2.75% to £17.93, while Wolseley has gained 1.04% to £12.66. Miners are also doing well with BHP Billiton up 1.43% to £11.35, while Xstrata has climbed 0.93% to £26.02, although gains are being offset by British Airways which is down 1.06% to 512.5p. However banking stocks are the biggest losers with Barclays leading the decline with a drop of 2.24% to 741p, while HBOS has slipped 1.69% to £10.47, Royal Bank of Scotland has dropped 1.12% to £20.31, and Scott...
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