The FTSE 100 was in decline today, slipping 82.5 points (1.4 percent) to 5,690 by midday. The FTSE 250 slid 134 points (1.15 percent) to 11,501 and the FTSE AIM 100 index fell 41 points (1.1 percent) to 3,837.
Food company Associated British Foods (LON:ABF) and broadcaster BSkyB (LON:BSY) were the top performers in the FTSE 100 in morning and afternoon trade, adding 1 percent by midday.
Most other UK blue chips were in the red.
Commodities trader Glencore (LON:GLEN) was among the heaviest fallers in the FTSE 100, dropping 4.3 percent by mid afternoon.
Oil & gas
Supermajors Royal Dutch Shell (LON:RDSB) and BP (LON:BP) fell 2.3 percent and 1.2 percent respectively by midday. Cairn Energy (LON:CNE) dropped 2.6 percent. BG Group (LON:BG) and Tullow Oil (LON:TLW) shed nearly 2 percent. Services company Wood Group (LON:WG) moved in the same direction, falling 1.75 percent.
Midcaps followed the majors. Heritage Oil (LON:HOIL) slid 4 percent in mid afternoon trade. Premier Oil (LON:PMO) lost 3 percent and Salamander Energy (LON:SMDR) and Soco International (LON:SIA) both shed a little more than 2 percent.
Mining
Precious metals
Lonmin (LON:LMI) and Fresnillo (LON:FRES) were at the bottom of the mining sector, shedding 2.9 percent and 2.6 percent respectively. Randgold Resources (LON:RRS) fell 1 percent in afternoon trade.
In the FTSE 250, Petropavlovsk (LON:POG) fell 2 percent and Aquarius Platinum (LON:AQP) and Hochschild Mining (LON:HOC) declined 1.7 percent and 1.3 percent respectively.
Base metals focused miners followed. Antofagasta (LON:ANTO), Eurasian Natural Resources (LON:ENRC) and Vedanta Resources (LON:VED) led the retreat, with all shedding about 4.5 percent by mid afternoon. Anglo American (LON:AAL), Kazakhmys (LON:KAZ) and Xstrata (LON:XTA) all pulled back 3.5 percent.
BHP Billiton (LON:BLT) and Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) both lost a little over 2.5 percent by midday.
Russian operating copper and nickel miner Amur Minerals (LON:AMC) was among the top performing small caps this afternoon, climbing 6.5 percent.
Banks, insurance, private equity
Financial stocks were in decline today. Part-nationalised banks Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) and Lloyds (LON:LLOY) fell 3.8 percent and 3 percent respectively in mid afternoon trade. Barclays (LON:BARC) dropped 2.8 percent.
Insurers Old Mutual (LON:OML) and Prudential (LON:PRU) both lost nearly 2 percent.
Small cap movers
Other notable risers among the small caps included African Medical Investments (LON:AMEI), which added 7 percent in afternoon trade.
LSE movers: ABF, Glencore, BSkyB, Lonmin, Fresnillo, ENRC, RBS
Published: 23:51 23 Jun 2011 AEST