Housebuilding firms hold back FTSE 100
(Close): Shares in housebuilding firms held back the FTSE 100 after disappointing results from Persimmon.
Although the company said forward sales for next year were strong, the broker UBS said it "remained concerned about the longer-term sustainability of the very favourable market conditions".
Overall the FTSE 100 closed almost flat, up 0.72 points, at 6,363.61.
Outside the FTSE 100, shares in Mothercare slumped 20.4% after the firm reported a 10.8% fall in international retail sales in the fourth quarter.