U.K. stocks finished slightly lower at the close on Tuesday, pressured by losses in the Healthcare Equipment & Services, General Retailers and Fixed Line Telecommunications sectors.
At the close in London, the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 declined 0.06%.
Market movers
The top-performing equities on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 included Antofagasta PLC (LON:ANTO), which advanced 4.70% or 183.00 points to finish at 4,081.00. Glencore PLC (LON:GLEN) gained 4.18% or 25.26 points to close at 629.06, and Weir Group PLC (LON:WEIR) rose 3.82% or 104.00 points to end the session at 2,828.00.
On the downside, Smith & Nephew PLC (LON:SN) led declines, dropping 3.57% or 38.00 points to 1,026.00 at the close. B&M European Value Retail PLC (LON:BMEB) fell 3.16% or 7.40 points to 227.00, while JD Sports Fashion PLC (LON:JD) declined 2.55% or 2.12 points to 80.88.
Notable stock milestones
Shares of Smith & Nephew fell to 52-week lows, finishing the session at 1,026.00 after a 3.57% decline. Conversely, Glencore rose to all-time highs, closing at 629.06 following a 4.18% gain.
Market breadth
On the London Stock Exchange, decliners outnumbered advancers by 871 to 816, with 557 stocks unchanged at the close.
Commodities and energy
In commodities trading, Gold Futures for December delivery were down 0.93% or 41.44 to $4,435.16 a troy ounce. Crude oil for October delivery rose 0.73% or 0.67 to $92.15 a barrel, and the November Brent oil contract increased 0.30% or 0.29 to trade at $97.29 a barrel.
Currencies and indexes
Currency markets were largely steady: GBP/USD was effectively unchanged, moving 0.01% to 1.35, while EUR/GBP was unchanged at 0.86. The US Dollar Index Futures declined 0.29% to 98.86.
Session snapshot
- Index: Investing.com United Kingdom 100 -0.06% at close.
- Top gainers: Antofagasta (up 4.70%), Glencore (up 4.18%), Weir Group (up 3.82%).
- Top decliners: Smith & Nephew (down 3.57%, at 52-week lows), B&M European Value Retail (down 3.16%), JD Sports Fashion (down 2.55%).
- Commodities: Gold down 0.93% to $4,435.16/oz; Brent up to $97.29/bbl; WTI October crude at $92.15/bbl.
- Market breadth: 871 decliners, 816 advancers, 557 unchanged.
The market closed with a mixed tone as strong moves in select mining and engineering stocks contrasted with pressure in healthcare equipment and retail names.