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		</div><p><a href="http://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/political-unrest-hits-dow-and-ftse.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full" title="The FTSE 100 Index has dropped 22 points to 6064" src="http://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/min-political-unrest-hits-dow-and-ftse.jpg" alt="The FTSE 100 Index has dropped 22 points to 6064"/></a></p>
<p>Markets saw lacklustre trading on both sides of the Atlantic as concerns over global political unrest and moves to curb inflation in China hit investor sentiment.</p>
<p>Wall Street&#8217;s Dow Jones Industrial Average had an uncertain early session, with the troubles in the Middle East and North Africa unsettling investor confidence.</p>
<p>In London, the FTSE 100 Index dropped 22 points to 6064 as mining and banking stocks acted as a drag.</p>
<p>Investors were hesitant as anti-government protests continued across Bahrain and Libya, while finance leaders assembled at a G20 meeting in Paris to discuss global economic issues.</p>
<p>Elsewhere, China&#8217;s central bank said it will raise banks&#8217; reserve-requirement &#8211; the second increase this year &#8211; to withdraw excess liquidity from the economy and curb inflation.</p>
<p>This raised fears over Chinese demand for raw materials, which combined with depressed copper prices to hit mining stocks.</p>
<p>Anglo-American dropped 95.5p to 3200p, BHP Billiton retreated 61.5p to 2383p and Rio Tinto lost 105p at 4393.5p. However, safe-haven gold was in demand &#8211; helping African Barrick Gold move 4% higher, up 19.5p to 570p.</p>
<p>Shareholders moved to lock-in recent bank profits, with Barclays down 7.4p to 326.1p, Lloyds Banking Group off 0.4p to 68.8p and HSBC 8.2p lower at 722.7p.</p>
<p>BAE Systems was also in the red, down for a second session in a row as investors digested Thursday&#8217;s warning that sales were likely to fall this year due to ongoing defence budget cuts on both sides of the Atlantic. Shares were down 0.7p to 340.3p.</p>
<p>Severn Trent and United Utilities were enjoying better fortunes &#8211; up 26p to 1480p and 5p to 592.5p &#8211; after Goldman Sachs upgraded stocks in the sector. Their second tier counterpart Northumbrian Water also benefited with an 11.4p gain to 326.5p.</p>
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