U.K. stocks struggled for direction on Tuesday and the pound dipped as Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a stream of allegations over his conduct during the Covid-19 pandemic in the fall of 2020.
Investors also awaited the outcome of a U.S. Federal Reserve meeting starting later today, with analysts expecting no policy change.
The benchmark FTSE 100 slipped 5 points to 6,958 after rising 0.4 percent in the previous session.
Oil major BP Plc rose 0.8 percent after posting better-than-expected earnings for the first quarter of the year.
HSBC Holdings advanced 1.5 percent. The global banking giant reported a significantly better-than-expected 79 percent rise in first quarter profit on the back of an improving economic outlook.
Serco, a company that provides outsourcing services to governments, added 1.4 percent after securing a £350mln government jobs contract.
Whitbread, owner of Premier Inn hotels, lost 2.4 percent after it swung to pretax loss for fiscal 2021.
Market Analysis
FTSE 100 Struggles For Direction
2021-04-27 09:25:55
