NEW YORK: U.K. stocks slipped Wednesday, with supermarket shares struggling following downbeat comments from a broker about the sector, but the pound climbed in the wake of minutes from the Bank of England’s policy meeting earlier this month.
The FTSE 100 UKX, -0.43% was down 0.1% at 6,703.44, on track for a fourth consecutive loss.
Stocks remained lower after the release of notes from the central bank as well as domestic jobs data. The Bank of England’s minutes from its meeting ending June 3 showed all nine policy makers decided to leave monetary policy unchanged, and that the bank sees “downside risks from the possibility of a disorderly outcome of the Greek debt negotiations.”
Concerns about Greece and its stalled debt talks with creditors continued to pressure markets across Europe. The Stoxx Europe 600 index SXXP, -0.23% fell Wednesday, trading near a fourth-month low. Greece’s central bank on Wednesday said the country is facing an “uncontrollable crisis” if it doesn’t reach a deal with creditors that would unlock a fresh round of much-needed cash.
