FTSE falls ahead of key jobs data

London saw shares fall in early trading, with the FTSE 100 down 35.77 points (0.82%) to 4,304.94 as investors exercise caution ahead of key US employment data.

Mining firms continued to push ahead after making impressive gains on Wednesday.  Antofagasta shares added 1.04% to 631p, Kazakhmys climbed 0.91% to 668p and Xstrata gains 0.88% to 699.3p.

WPP Group shares fell as Citigroup downgraded the stock, recommending investors sell.  Shares dropped 2.96% to 401.25p

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones closed higher, up 57.06 points (0.68%) to 8,504.06.

Consumer good firm were among the day’s leaders, with Kraft Foods rising 5.56% to $26.61 after it revealed it was partnering with a beef provider to promote its products.  Coca Cola shares added 2.43% to $49.18 as the weakening dollar improved its prospects in foreign markets.

Financials offset some of the gains, with JPMorgan Chase down 1.14% to $33.75, American Express dropped 0.93% to $23 and Bank of America shares fell 0.83% to $13.05 each.

The Nikkei 225 fell in Tokyo on Thursday, down 63.78 points (0.64%) to 9,876.15 as the Honda Motor Company shed 2.3% of its value.