Mining and oil stocks cause FTSE to slip

Xstrata is currently topping the losers with a drop of 19p, or 1.4%, to 1,338p, while Royal Dutch Shell is down 20p, or 1.11%, to 1,774p. BG Group is also struggling with a fall of 6p, or 1.09%, to 546p. It is not all bad news though, as bank stocks such as Barclays and HBOS have gained. Barclays has added 3p, or 0.5%, to 603.5p, while HBOS has advanced 7.5p, or 0.8%, to 944p. Elsewhere, The London Stock Exchange has fallen 6p, or 0.96%, to 616p, as Macquarie Bank launched a £1.5bn bid for the exchange, confirming a proposal which Europe's biggest stock market rejected last week as "der...