FTSE in negative territory

The FTSE 100 Index was in negative territory today, despite banks and insurers rounding off a good week with further gains.

Sentiment was impacted by lacklustre trading in Asia, where investors were unconvinced by figures released yesterday showing a sharp drop in jobless claims in the US economy. The FTSE 100 Index was 11.9 points lower at 5818.2, matching the performance of markets in France and Germany.