London's FTSE slips at open

[WorldNews]

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London equities fell in early trade Monday after a strong US jobs report raised expectations that the Federal Reserve could soon hike interest rates. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index of top companies was down 23.33 points, or 0.34 percent, at 6,888.47 points, with developer Land Securities Group and DIY retailer Kingfisher the biggest fallers. US markets sank Friday after the Labor Department said 295,000 jobs were created in February, pushing the unemployment rate down to 5.5 percent, the lowest level since May 2008. Analysts said the latest strong jobs report -- which also follows a series of other positive indicators -- increased the likelihood the Fed will lift rates from near-zero as early as the summer.

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