LONDON (AFP) –
The leading stock exchange closed down on Friday -- despite striking a 12-month high earlier in the session -- after disappointing financial results from the US and amid profit-taking from earlier gains.

The FTSE 100 index of leading shares dropped 0.63 percent to 5,190.24 points.

Telecom giant Vodafone was the most traded stock, seeing 175 million units change hands, followed by Royal Bank of Scotland, which saw 127 million shares switch owners.

Experian was the session's winning blue-chip gaining 16.5 pence -- or 2.98 percent -- to finish at 570.

Security services firm G4S followed with shares gaining 6.6 pence -- or 2.76 percent -- to stand at 245.6.

The biggest casualties of the day were supermarket retailer Sainsbury, which shed 13.8 pence -- or 4.03 percent -- to finish at 328.7, and fashion retailer Burberry, which lost 19.5 pence -- or 3.38 percent -- to end at 557.

Sterling rose against both the dollar and the euro.

The pound was worth $1.6344 at 16:58, up from $1.6271 at Thursday's close, while it climbed to 1.0981 euros up from 1.0890 over the same period.