UK shares inched lower on Monday, led by declines in miners and financials, as renewed Middle East hostilities weighed on risk sentiment.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index CURRENCYCOM:UK100 closed 0.2% lower, while the midcap FTSE 250 FTSE:MCX was off 0.6%.
Mining shares slipped due to a decline in gold TVC:GOLD after the recent escalation in the Middle East fuelled inflation concerns, with Anglo American LSE:AAL, Fresnillo LSE:FRES and Rio Tinto LSE:RIO down between 1.2% and 3%.
British American Tobacco LSE:BATS dipped 0.7% after the tobacco giant said it plans to reduce its workforce by 20%, dragging on consumer staple shares (.FTUB4510).
Shares of home construction makers (.FTNMX402020) mirrored European peers, with the index down 2.4%.
Among other movers, Melrose Industries RON.L> and Babcock LSE:BAB fell 1.3% and 5.1%, respectively. The Ministry of Defence said on Sunday that the UK will scrap plans to replace its ageing destroyers to focus on drone warships.
Bridgepoint LSE:BPT jumped 16.1% after the private equity group agreed to buy U.S.-based Kayne Anderson's real estate business in a deal valued at about $1.4 billion.
BT LSE:BT.A and Verizon NYSE:VZ announced a deal to combine their international enterprise operations into a 50:50 joint venture. Shares of the British telecoms group were marginally up.
Stocks showed little reaction to a policy speech by Andy Burnham, who is widely expected to be Britain's next prime minister. He reiterated his commitment to existing fiscal rules, saying his plans for the country were consistent with the party's 2024 manifesto.
On the economic front, a survey showed British companies' expectations for growth in the coming quarter fell this month to their lowest level this year.