December 24: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	0.221 %
Standard deviation	0.585
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	3
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	11

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)	93	93	212	33
Avg. % change	0.194%	0.287%	-0.025%	0.304%
Standard deviation % change	0.413	1.244	0.607	1.024
No. of times price has gone up	13	11	6	4
No. of times price has gone down	1	7	5	1

Gold:since 1970, Silver : 1970, Platinum: 1976, Paladium: 1996

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Yahoo European Business
Europe Shares Flat on Christmas Eve (Reuters)
US threats over EU lifting China arms ban (AFP)
Shares end higher as festive rally continues (AFP)
European stocks edge higher in early deals (AFP)
EU Says Greece to Miss Deficit Targets (AP)
A Different Look at iShares (The Motley Fool)
FTSE 100 ends higher lifted by mining shares (AFP)
Dollar Mostly Firmer, Gains on Sterling (Reuters)
German research institute lowers country's GDP growth outlook for 2005 (Canadian Press)
City regulator plans to get tough with accounts in five industries (FT.com)
Bullish FTSE 100 closes higher (AFP)

BBC - On This Day
1974: 'Drowned' Stonehouse found alive
Former UK minister John Stonehouse has been found in Australia after apparently faking his own death.
1962: Bay of Pigs prisoners fly to freedom
More than 1,000 men taken prisoner at the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba return to the United States in time for Christmas.
1979: Europe launches first rocket
The first European-built rocket, Ariane 1, successfully blasts off into space.
1988: Oilfields crippled after storage ship drifts
North Sea oil production is dealt another blow months after the Piper Alpha disaster.
1997: Minister's son arrested in drug probe
The son of an unnamed Cabinet minister is arrested on suspicion of selling drugs.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for December 24