LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) – Britain’s benchmark equity index,
which had raced to its highest level in nearly 13 years this
week, fell sharply for the second straight session on Friday as
a decline at major bank HSBC hit the market.

Some traders felt the pull-back could accelerate in June
although many still believed the stock market’s longer-term
rising trend remained intact and that the market would end 2013
higher than where it was at the end of 2012.

LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) – Britain’s benchmark equity index
slid further on Friday, knocked by a fall in major bank HSBC’s
shares, after taking its steepest drop in a year in the
previous session.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 was down by 0.6 percent, or
41.02 points, at 6,655.77 points in mid-session trade, following
on from a 2.1 percent fall on Thursday.

LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) – A benchmark European equity index
logged its biggest one-day fall in nearly a year on Thursday,
hit by worries over a possible end to U.S. economic stimulus
measures, with mining stocks among the worst performers.

Some investors and traders were betting on a more protracted
pull-back that could last over the next two months, although the
majority still felt European equity markets would then recover
to resume an upwards trajectory towards the end of 2013.

LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) – European shares fell from
multi-year highs on Wednesday, with luxury goods stocks among
the worst performers, as some investors sold in anticipation of
a near-term pull-back in the market.

Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke is due to speak later in
the day and the U.S. central bank is also due to release minutes
of its May policy meeting. Investors are concerned that the Fed
will start scaling back monetary stimulus measures which have
helped drive this year’s steep rally in world stock markets.

LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) – European shares edged back on
Wednesday from multi-year highs as the luxury goods sector
lagged, with many investors reluctant to take new positions
before comments on policy from the head of the U.S. Federal
Reserve.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index, which has
hit 5-year highs this month, slipped 0.3 percent to 1,249.80
points, while the euro zone’s blue-chip Euro STOXX 50 index fell
0.1 percent to 2,820.35 points.

LONDON, May 21 (Reuters) – European shares fell from
multi-year highs on Tuesday on concerns the U.S. central bank
could call an earlier-than-expected halt to the stimulus
programme that had underpinned demand for stocks.

But with no signs of an easing of European Central Bank
measures that have also supported riskier assets, traders and
investors felt any pull-back on the region’s equity markets
would be relatively brief and that more gains were likely later
this year.

LONDON, May 21 (Reuters) – European shares fell from
multi-year highs on Tuesday, with the UK market having hit a
near 13-year peak this week, as concerns over a possible end to
central bank stimulus measures halted the region’s equity rally.

Still, most traders and investors felt any pull-back on
European equity markets would be relatively brief before stock
markets resume their rise towards the end of the year.

LONDON, May 20 (Reuters) – Britain’s benchmark equity index
rose on Monday to its best closing level since late 2000, helped
by rising bank stocks, and analysts said there was little
holding it back from its all-time highs.

Interest rate cuts and injections of liquidity by central
banks have hit returns on bonds, driving investors to seek the
better returns on offer from equities, spurring a global stock
market rally over the last year.

LONDON, May 20 (Reuters) – Britain’s benchmark equity index
steadied near its highest level in five-and-a-half years on
Monday, helped by a rise in bank stocks, and most analysts
expected further near-term gains.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index was flat at 6,724.49
points in mid-session trading – steadying at its highest level
since early 2008.

LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) – Britain’s benchmark equity index
edged up to reach fresh 5-1/2 year peaks on Thursday helped by
solid earnings from major companies, although some traders said
further big moves higher were unlikely in the near term.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index rose 0.1 percent, or
6.25 points, to 6,699.80 points in early session trading -
marking the 11th consecutive winning session for the market.