U.K. stocks traded lower on Wednesday as investors digested a slew of mixed earnings updates and looked ahead to the release of U.S. and Eurozone inflation readings this week for directional cues.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was down 34 points, or 0.4 percent, at 7,649 after finishing marginally lower on Tuesday.
Consumer goods group Reckitt Benckiser slumped 8.5 percent after fourth quarter like-for-like net sales came in below expectations.
Luxury car maker Aston Martin fell 2.8 percent after it pushed back plans to launch its first battery electric vehicle by a year.
Vodafone rallied 3 percent. The telecoms giant said it is in advanced talks with Swisscom about a cash sale of its Italian arm.
Glanbia, a dietary supplement company, soared 8.4 percent after reporting a 20 percent increase in full year after tax profits.
Halfords Group plummeted 25 percent after the motoring and cycling company trimmed its fiscal 2024 profit forecast.
Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey lost 3.4 percent after reporting a fall in FY23 pretax profit.
Capita, a business process outsourcing firm, climbed over 4 percent.
The company said that it has extended and expanded its customer service contract with an undisclosed European telecoms provider.
Market Analysis
FTSE 100 Declines On Earnings
2024-02-28 09:37:43