Afternoon markets: Miners and energy stocks keep FTSE steady

The FTSE 100 was down around a quarter of a percent this afternoon to 5,441, with mining and energy companies keeping the index quite stable. While miners BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto held their leading positions, elsewhere among the blue chips, bid targets London Stock Exchange and ITV dragged the index, down 4.92% and 3.47% respectively, to 763.5p and 43.71p. Energy companies BP, Tullow Oil and Cairn were lifted by increases in the oil price. While miners lifted falling financials overall, two exceptions were Friends Provident and Old Mutual, which were up 4.73% to 93p and 2.3...