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FTSE100 closes down as data disappoints; miners weigh

Last updated: 03:52 21 Nov 2014 AEDT, First published: 04:52 21 Nov 2014 AEDT

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Footsie recouped some earlier losses to closem out the session 18 points down - at 6,679.

Sentiment was dented after disappointing manufacturing stats from powerhouse China and services data from the beleaguered Eurozone.

The preliminary HSBC purchasing managers' index (PMI) for Chinese manufacturing fell to 50 in November,  showing neither an expansion nor contraction.

And in Europe Both French and German purchasing manager's index data missed expectations for this month, compounding the already gloomy view on the state of the region.

In London, the biggest laggards were the diggers, with big cap miners making up three of the top five losers - Anglo American (LON:AAL), Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) and BHP Billiton (LON:BLT).

All were down over 2%.

On the flip side, Johnson Matthey was the top gainer - adding 6% as the speciality chemicals maker reported higher pre-tax profits of £208mln and was more upbeat for the year ahead.

Revenues fell 25% over the year to £4.8bn, but underlying pre-tax profit rose 2%.

Energy stocks were on the slide as warmer weather in the UK scorched British Gas owner Centrica (LON:CNA).

Shares in the firm dropped 1.57% after it cut its full year earnings forecast and said it expects UK customer gas consumption to be 21% lower this year.

National Grid (NG.) fell 2.55% in sympathy.

RBS (LON:RBS) dipped 0.83% after it was handed a £56mln fine by UK regulators over IT failures in 2012.

Meanwhile, in the junior space, Stellar Resources (LON:STG) was a standout - adding 42.86% and building on yesterday's 60% rise, as it unveiled encouraging assays from sampling at the Clogau St David's gold mine in Wales.

One result showed  an eye-watering 435g/t of the yellow metal.

Ten out of a total of 55 assays returned grades of over 200 grams per tonne (g/t) with six results returning greater than 300 g/t gold.

Tangiers Petroleum (LON:TPET) soared almost 43% after it won a bid for an Alaskan oil and gas venture known as known as Project Icewine.

IT firm Outsourcery (LON:OUT) shot up over 46% after it became one of a limited number of UK partners with the ability to bill, manage and support Office 365.

Amur Minerals (LON:AMC) gained  12.68% following news of more progress with its mining licence application for its Kun-Manie project.

Elsewhere, Churchill Mining (LON:CHL) shares dipped almost 7% after it said its arbitration case against the Indonesian government would continue.

Other notable gainers were Atlantic Coal (LON:ATC), up 14.81%, Weatherly International (LON:WTI), up 8.7% and Globo (LON:GBO), which added 7.65%.

The portable devices software specialist Globo (LON:GBO) continued to generate free cash flow in the third quarter of 2014 and remains confident of meeting the market's full-year expectations after the first nine months of the year saw a slight quickening in top-line growth.

Revenues in the nine months to the end of September were up 46% year-on-year at €73.2mln from €50.0mln in the same period of 2013; at the half-year stage, top-line growth was 45%.

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