Around the World's Markets: London

BLUE-CHIPS closed sharply lower as investors took profits after the recent record-breaking run. The FTSE-100 index finished 101.2 points lower at 6497.6, despite a firm opening on Wall Street. However, the FTSE- 250 ended 2.9 higher at 5816.6 and the Small Cap posted a 9.4 gain to 2557.7.

Mining and oil stocks were among the best-performing blue-chips as investors switched from growth sectors such as pharmaceuticals into cyclical shares. Market Report, page 21