Footsie stays clear of 4000 mark

London’s FTSE 100 Index crept closer to the 4000 barrier today as the market’s recent crisis of confidence continued.

The Footsie ended lower for the third time this week – down 26.2 points at 4041.7 – after the US Federal Reserve failed to deliver the hefty half-point interest rate cut that many experts had been looking for on Wednesday.