Wolseley led decliners in the FTSE 100 index shares with a fall of 8.62% followed by losses in HBOS of 7.35%, in Legal & General of 6.98%, in Prudential of 6.82%, and Hammerson of 6.61%.

Financial stocks declined. Standard Chartered lost 6.16%, Old Mutual shed 6.11%, Royal Bank of Scotland tumbled 5.91% and Barclays plummeted 5.40%.

Europe Markets Review

In London FTSE 100 Index closed lower 129.80 or 2.38% to 5,320.40, in Paris CAC 40 Index decreased 116.05 or 2.61% to close at 4,332.79 and in Frankfurt DAX index lower 150.45 or 2.34% to close at 6,282.43. In Zurich trading SMI decreased 116.22 or 1.61% to close at 7,115.18.

Asian Markets Review

The Nikkei 225 Index in Tokyo closed lower 300.40 or 2.28% to 12,865.05, Hang Seng index in Hong Kong decreased 446.30 or 2.13% closed to 20,484.37. ASX 200 index in Australia decreased 118.60 or 2.38% to close 4,866.40. The KL Composite index in Malaysia decreased 14.94 or 1.38% closed to 1,069.42.

The Kospi Index in South Korea decreased 26.30 or 1.68% to close at 1,541.41, SET index in Thailand closed lower 5.90 or 0.85% to 691.33 and JSE Index in Indonesia decreased 42.65 or 2.05% to 2,042.50. The Sensex index in India decreased 101.93 or 0.70% closed to 14,543.73.