London | Markets Latest
UK equities traded marginally lower, with the FTSE 100 easing 17.57 points, or 0.17%, to 10,582.96, as weakness in utilities, food and mining counters weighed on sentiment.
The broader UK market also stayed soft:
- FTSE 250: down 74.13 points (0.33%) at 22,276.89
- FTSE 350: down 10.46 points (0.18%) at 5,719.95
- FTSE All-Share: down 10.36 points (0.18%) at 5,654.09
In contrast, the FTSE AIM All-Share outperformed, rising 4.83 points, or 0.62%, to 782.31, reflecting selective strength in smaller growth names.
Top FTSE 100 fallers
The day’s biggest laggards were led by utilities and defensive heavyweights:
- United Utilities: 1,362.00, down 32 points (-2.30%)
- Severn Trent: 3,184.00, down 71 points (-2.18%)
- National Grid: 1,319.80, down 27.80 points (-2.06%)
- Marks & Spencer: 357.40, down 7.50 points (-2.06%)
- Fresnillo: 3,524.00, down 72 points (-2.00%)
- Associated British Foods: 1,882.00, down 38 points (-1.98%)
- SSE: 2,699.50, down 53 points (-1.93%)
- Endeavour Mining: 4,810.00, down 92 points (-1.88%)
The selloff in utilities and precious metal miners suggests investors rotated out of defensives even as the broader index remained range-bound.
Market takeaway
The modest decline in the FTSE 100, despite widespread weakness in key defensive names, indicates resilience in other heavyweight sectors, likely including financials and energy, which helped cushion the downside.
