FTSE 100 down 30.9 points at 6,556.53

Britain's top share index opened lower on Thursday as the FTSE 100 awaited further evidence on the economic recovery and stimulus policies with cyclical stocks and drugmakers among the top fallers, Reuters reported. London's blue chip index was down 30.90 points, or 0.5 percent at 6,556.53, tracking overnight weakness in the U.S. and Asia, as worries over the timing and extent to which the U.S. Federal Reserve will withdraw its economic stimulus continued to hinder the market's progress. Energy stocks, miners and financials, those most acutely exposed to the fortunes of the broader economy, all fell early on Thursday. Steve Ruffley, chief market strategist at spreadbetting and CFD platform InterTrader said with little economic data for the market to chew on, investors were waiting for a technical push higher rather than a fundamental bias. He said technically there was support for the FTSE 100 around the 20-day moving average at 6,565 and below that 6,534.7.