P244 CEEFAX 244 Thu 13 Jan 21:12/16 2/2 LONDON STOCKS CLOSE Equities came under strong pressure as sentiment was dampened by easing chances of a rate cut. Dealers said the underlying tone of the market had turned negative and sterling's strength sparked worries over future export performance. On the bright side, some individual stocks fared well. Reuters surged 28p to 1,853p after announcing its Quotron acquisition. Rank was 20p higher after a 120% profits hike. Long-gilts were down by 3/4 and shorts were a 1/2 lower. Headlines 201 FT indices 241 Wall St et Shares FTSE/FT30 Options