December 7: FTSE100 Performance Analysis For This Day

Average percentage change for this day	-0.164 %
Standard deviation	0.708
No. of times the FTSE has gone down today since 1984	8
No. of times FTSE has gone up today since 1984	4

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Metals data for today

	Gold	Silver	Platinum	Paladium
Day ranking (out of 365)	165	167	105	27
Avg. % change	0.062%	0.072%	0.206%	0.336%
Standard deviation % change	0.922	2.003	1.052	1.313
No. of times price has gone up	11	11	11	4
No. of times price has gone down	9	12	8	0

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

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Yahoo European Business
EU fails to agree on reduced VAT rates amid German resistance (AFP)
Ericsson helps Europe hit fresh 3½ year high (FT.com)
European stocks rise amid banking sector news (AFP)
FTSE flat as weaker oils offset stronger HBOS (FT.com)
Britain sets out proposals to break EU budget impasse (AFP)
British finance minister slashes optimistic economic growth targets (AFP)
Dutch Zalm casts doubt on EU budget deal (Reuters)
EU and US must slash subsidies - Goodale (Reuters)
Germany wants to cut EU budget contributions (AFP)
Annan, EU reject U.S. proposals on new U.N. budget (Reuters)
British finance minister unveils plan to reform EU farm subsidies (AFP)

On this day
1998 On a live satellite link-up Bill Gates told a press conference that the DoJ trial (the antitrust trial against Microsoft) could undermine the future of the entire high-tech industry.

BBC - On This Day
1941: Japanese planes bomb Pearl Harbor
Japan launches a surprise attack on American bases in the Pacific and declares it is at war with Britain and the United States.
2001: Taleban surrender Kandahar
The Taleban regime gives up its last Afghan stronghold of Kandahar after weeks of bombardment by US warplanes.
1979: Lord Soames to govern Rhodesia
Lord Soames is named transitional governor of Rhodesia to oversee its progress into legal independence.
1955: Attlee steps down as Labour leader
Mr Attlee resigns as leader of the Labour Party and is made an Earl hours later by the Queen.
1993: Activists lose battle over chestnut tree
Protesters lose a 20-year fight to save a 250-year-old chestnut tree in east London, making way for a motorway extension.
1983: Tomcat halts steeplejack
A cat has climbed to a height of 160ft up an industrial chimney holding up the work of chief chimney-toppler Fred Dibnah.

Wikipedia On This Day
Wikipedia entry for December 7