Updates from Grant Thornton, BHP Billiton and Hansteen

Little evidence of any 'Santa rally' as Christmas nears: the FTSE 100 again fell on Monday, down 17 points to 6,034.8. Coca-Cola HBC and ABF saw 3.1% and 2.7% falls to 1453p and 3236p. There were also dips for Smith & Nephew, down 2.5% to 1143p and Shell down 1.5% to 1442p. However there was an almost 3% gain for ITV to 271.50p helped by takeover interest from NBC.

US shares kicked away some of Friday's slough, up 123 points to 17,251.6 helped by an uplift in banking stocks. However a new oil dent - crude hit an 11-year low - impacted US energy stocks.

We start with news that accountancy player Grant Thornton(GT) is being investigated by The Financial Reporting Council on GT's handling of mobile tech player Globo. No formal case has been bought against GT - FRC investigations usually take several months.

Greece-based Globlo has its shares listed on London's Alternative Investment Market (or AIM) though it sank into administration in November. The FRC's probe will focus on the financial statements of the company between the end of December 2013 and end of year 2014, it said in a statement.

2015 revenue for Grant Thornton climbed to £520m hiking partner profit more than 3% to £398,000. There was particularly strong growth from its corporate finance arm.

Moving on next to BHP Billiton and a climb in the death toll from its Brazilian Samarco dam rupture, nearly seven weeks ago. The fatality count has now risen to 17.

Samarco is jointly owned by BHP Billiton and Vale SA. The 5 November disaster saw large amounts of toxic material wash into the Atlantic, a UN team has claimed. Meanwhile a Brazilian judge has frozen the local assets of both companies.

"Samarco," said BHP Billiton in a statement, "continues to work with the government authorities in Brazil to relocate displaced people from temporary accommodation to rented housing".

Lastly, property player Hansteen says it has bought a further 31.6m units in the Ashtenne Industrial Fund (AIF) from Britel Fund Trustees Limited for £15.4m.

This boosts Hansteen's holding in AIF to 81.8%. AIF has sold 10 properties for a combined £20m meaning a claimed profit of £3m profit over 31 December 2014 book value.

"The acquisition," says Hansteen chief exec Morgan Jones, "of these units in AIF was an excellent opportunity to consolidate our holding in the Fund, as we believe there is scope for further growth".

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