Antofagasta led advancers in the FTSE 100 index stocks with a rise of 3.77% followed by increases in HBOS of 3.70%, in Friends Provident of 2.91%, in Hammerson Plc of 2.77%, and Kazakhmys Plc of 2.57%.

Friends Provident gained after the company rejected a $7 billion takeover bid from U.S. buyout firm JC Flowers & Co saying that the bid undervalues the company.

ITV Plc led decliners in the FTSE 100 index shares with a drop of 6.77% followed by losses in Old Mutual Plc of 4.08%, in London Stock Exchange of 4.05%, in Vodafone Group of 3.89%, and ICAP Plc of 3.48%.

ITV fell after it was downgraded from “neutral” to “sell” by UBS, which also cut its price estimate of the company by 14% to 60 pence. Vodafone also plummeted on a downgraded.

Retailers also fell on concern over deteriorating conditions in the sector. Marks & Spencer fell 2.27%, Tesco Plc shed 2.88% and Next declined 1.89%.

International Markets

In Tokyo Nikkei 225 Index closed lower 294.93 or 2.30% to 12,525.54, in Hong Kong Hang Seng index decreased 436.75 or 1.88% closed to 22,849.20. In Australia ASX 200 index higher 4.60 or 0.09% to close 5,355.70. In Malaysia KL Composite index decreased 10.89 or 0.87% closed to 1,247.52.

In South Korea Kospi Index increased 2.16 or 0.13% to close at 1,703.99, in Thailand SET index closed lower 8.14 or 0.99% to 817.03 and Indonesia JSE Index edged decreased 30.29 or 1.22% to 2,447.30. Sensex index in India decreased 726.85 or 4.44% to 15,644.44.