Housebuilders fall as Ukraine worries hit FTSE

British stocks fell on Friday as investors sought safety after a passenger plane was shot down in Ukraine, reviving fears about the conflict there, while shares in housebuilders underperformed following a broker downgrade. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index was down by 0.6 per cent, or 42.65 points, at 6,695.67 points by the middle of the trading day. Housebuilder Barratt Developments was among the worst-performing FTSE stocks, falling 2.3 per cent and dragging down rival Persimmon after brokerage Liberum downgraded its rating on Barratt to ‘hold’ from ‘buy’. Pharmaceuticals group Shire rose 2 per cent, however, after US rival Abbvie agreed a $53 billion deal to take over Shire. The FTSE 100 Volatility Index rose by 5.4 per cent, highlighting investors' nervousness, according to Reuters.