At the close: FTSE 100 dragged down by mining stocks
The FTSE 100 closed lower today after mining stocks were badly hit by weak economic data from China.
The index closed 0.4 per cent down at 6,352 points, led lower by mining company Anglo American which dropped by 7.37 per cent.
Earlier today data from China outperformed analysts' expectations with gross domestic product growing at 6.9 per cent, but still fed into concerns about a slowdown in the world's second largest economy, which also led Glencore to fall 5.17 per cent and Fresnillo to shed 3.29 per cent.
BHP Billiton and Antofagasta ended the session 2.97 and 3.45 per cent lower respectively.
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David Buik, a market commentator at Panmure, said: "The slightly worse than expected economic data that came out of China this morning put the mining sector under pressure, which was responsible for half of the 35 point fall in the FTSE 100." Buik added:
"Mining shares fell by an average of about 3.5 per cent with Anglo American the most exposed – down seven per cent. HSBC eased by one per cent based on downbeat outlook in China."
"Oils were flat most of the day though they have eased by one per cent in the last hour. Conversely the DAX, without the hindrance of resources and oil was up 0.4 per cent – 70 points."
Also commenting on the markets and data out of China, analyst at CMC Markets Jasper Lawler said: "The rebound in oil and metal prices has supported the rebound in equities but commodities were generally lower on Monday following further evidence of the slowdown in China. As such, basic resource shares were propping up the bottom of the FTSE 100 with miner Anglo American and commodity-trader Glencore top fallers."
Pharmaceutical giant Shire was the biggest riser, finishing the session 2.55 per cent higher.