Stock Watch ; Stocks and Shares

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By Michelle Stansby

THE FTSE yesterday recorded its biggest single-week drop in six years after dropping 121.4 points on the day, closing at 5240.7, and tumbling 336.7 points across the course of the week.

Global economic concerns - including worse-than-forecast US jobless figures and an 8.3% reported UK food-price increase - hit bank stocks, while miners and commodity producers were hit by falls in metal and oil prices.

The brightest light on yesterday's index was car insurance specialist RSA insurance which jumped on speculation that fellow insurer Allianz was preparing a bid.

Speculation has swirled on RSA in the past week, and shares closed into positive territory at 162.9p - an increase of 4.5p.

Among the raft of miners and banks which dragged on yesterday's market, Vodafone stood out after the mobile network operator fell 6.2p to close at 131.75p after profit warnings from handset manufacturer Nokia sent jitters through the sector.

Michelle Stansby Associate director and investment manager - Barclays Wealth

Winners. . .

Cadbury +14 to 636

Unilever +10 to 1591

Hammerson +5 to 91412

RSA Insurance +412 to 16234

Wood Group +334 to 41214

Cairn Energy +3 to 2553

Next +1 to 1083

Centrica +1 to 316

. . . & Losers

Rio Tinto -156 to 4315