Hefty falls in the banking and insurance sectors wiped another 1% off the London market today to close a volatile week for UK blue chips. The top share index narrowly avoided closing below the 5400 barrier as a rebound from the mining sector and strong gains from retailers helped limit losses. London’s FTSE 100 Index shed 63.8 points to 5412.8, with the focus falling on beleaguered banks amid more fears for the sector and as the Bradford & Bingley fundraising saga took a new twist. An otherwise quiet day for corporate news provided little distraction away from financial stocks, while Wall Street is also out of action for the July 4 holiday celebrations. In London, Bradford & Bingley was the worst hit bank, down more than 18% after being forced into another overhaul of its cash-raising plans. B&B’s private equity investor...
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