instruction:
Classify the given a piece of financial news into three classes: positive, negative, and neutral. Output must be 'positive', 'negative', or 'neutral'.
question:
Shares in Royal and Sun Alliance continued to slide back from a 12-month high of 172p last month , after a potential suitor ruled itself out of a takeover bid .
answer:
negative

question:
Finnish electronics contract manufacturer Scanfil had net sales of EUR 52.2 mn in the first quarter of 2007 , down from EUR 60.1 mn a year before .
answer:
negative

question:
Press release 9 October 2009 Ruukki has signed a contract to deliver and install the steel structures for a bridge over the Kyronsalmi strait in Savonlinna , Finland .
answer:
positive