Market round-up: Royal Mail sale and interest rate announcement drag FTSE 100 down

Despite a 9% increase in dividend payouts and a rise in profits in its full-year ending 31 March 2015, technologies and chemicals company Johnson Matthey leads the fallers on the FTSE 100 today (4 June).

Overall, the Index was down 1.31% as the Bank of England announced there was no change in its Quantitative Easing programme and held its interest rates at 0.5%.

National Grid was the second-biggest faller, with shares plummeting 5.08% after Societe General downgraded its rating to 'sell'.

After chancellor George Osborne announced the government will sell its 30% stake in delivery service Royal Mail for £1.5bn (€2bn), the company's shares went down 4.94%, making it the third-biggest faller of the day.

Kingfisher, which announced the closure of B&Q stores across the country, saw its ratings by Bank of America's Merrill Lynch go from 'underperforming' to 'neutral', which made its shares go up 2.66%.

FTSE 100 biggest risers

• Kingfisher +9.80 (+2.66%) 377.90
• British Land Co +7.00 (+0.84%) 836.00
• Royal Bank of Scotland Group +2.30 (+0.66%) 351.80
• easyJet +10.00 (+0.63%) 1,592.00
• Babcock International Group +7.00 (+0.62%) 1,143.00

FTSE 100 biggest fallers

• Johnson Matthey -185.00 (-5.26%) 3,331.00
• National Grid -46.50 (-5.08%) 869.00
• Royal Mail -26.00 (-4.94%) 500.00
• Anglo American -43.00 (-4.10%) 1,005.00
• WPP -54.00 (-3.46%) 1,505.00

FTSE AIM 100 biggest risers

• Tungsten Corporation +3.50 (+4.38%) 83.50
• James Halstead +10.00 (+2.56%) 400.00
• GB Group +5.00 (+2.47%) 207.50
• Arbuthnot Banking Group +35.00 (+2.31%) 1,550.00
• M&C Saatchi +7.25 (+2.24%) 330.25

FTSE AIM 100 biggest fallers

• Amerisur Resources -2.25 (-6.12%) 34.50
• Sprue Aegis -15.00 (-5.26%) 270.00
• Majestic Wines -15.50 (-3.50%) 427.50
• Powerflute OYJ -2.00 (-2.92%) 66.50
• RWS Holdings -3.50 (-2.50%) 136.50