To learn more about MRCC, visit Representative Certification Commission (MRCC)Sharon L. LustigExecutive Director540-725-3840 / / Business Wire 2009. * U.S. retail sales figures worse than expected Stocks  |  China * Banks and miners biggest drag on index * Investors pile into defensive stocks By Tricia Wright LONDON, May 13 (Reuters) - Britain's top share index closeddown 2.1 percent on Wednesday, succumbing to disappointing U.S.retail sales figures, banks knocked by profit taking and miningstocks weighed by weak commodity prices.

The FTSE 100 .FTSE ended down 94.17 points at 4,331.37,retreating for the third straight session. The benchmark index is down 2.3 percent so far this year,but up 25.2 percent since hitting a six-year low on March 9. "What you're seeing here is just a bit of a setback in termsof profits being taken, because after a big run like this, doesit spell a complete reversal, or a start of a reversal of themovement we've enjoyed since March?" said Stephen Pope, chiefglobal market strategist at Cantor Fitzgerald Europe "My view is still 'no it doesn't'. We are still in arelatively decent technical position," he said U.S blue chips .DJI fell after U.S. retail sales datacame in worse than expected, dampening hopes of a quick economicrecovery. [ID:nN13384420] UK economic news was also gloomy, with the Bank of England'squarterly inflation report saying growth would shrink sharply incoming months before recovering at a slower pace than previouslythought.

[ID:nBOE001849] Banks were the biggest drag on the UK blue chips, amidprofit taking in a sector that has jumped nearly 103 percentsince its trough in early March .FTNMX8350. At the same time,investors switched into more defensive stocks. HSBC (HSBA.L), Standard Chartered (STAN.L), Barclays(BARC.L) and Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L) fell 5.1-9.6 percent. Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L), slid 12.6 percent after thepart-nationalised bank's chief executive said it faced seriousnet margin headwinds Miners were also lower, tracking weak commodity prices.

Kazakhmys (KAZ.L), Eurasian Natural Resources (ENRC.L),Anglo American (AAL.L) and BHP Billiton (BLT.L) fell 5.3-11.9percent. Rio Tinto (RIO.L) closed 10.6 percent lighter as its majorinvestors demand afresh that the mining giant scrap a deal withChinalco and actively pursue a new capital raising or a sale ofassets to rival BHP. [ID:nWLA4101] Elsewhere among commodity stocks, oils were broadly higherwith crude up above $59 a barrel. BG (BG.L) and Royal DutchShell (RDSa.L) added 0.3 percent and 1.6 percent respectively,but BP (BP.L) underperformed, down 1.3 percent after goingex-dividend. Like the banks, life insurers were under pressure asinvestors favoured defensives.