The FTSE 100 dropped as much as 4.5 per cent or 257 points to 5,414 in early trading - before settling about 3.5 per cent or 200 points down at 5,471 by mid-morning. The FTSE had closed up nearly 2 per cent yesterday as markets reacted to oil prices steadying and Chinese factory data raising hopes of a revival in economic activity. Britain's stock market has suffered its worst run for more than three decades as the coronavirus crisis sends shares tumbling. The sell-off has been the worst since the Black Monday stock market crash of October 1987 when the FTSE 100 fell 23 per cent in two days. Although the market has fallen significantly in recent weeks, the FTSE 100 has risen 13.6 per cent since crashing to a nine-year low below the 5,000 mark last week.

Source: Daily Mail April 01, 2020 07:18 UTC