NEW YORK: U.K. stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the Industrial Metals & Mining, Gas, Water & Multiutilities and Chemicals sectors led shares lower.
At the close in London, the FTSE 100 lost 1.31% to hit a new 1-month low.
The best performers of the session on the FTSE 100 were Kingfisher (LONDON:KGF), which rose 2.66% or 9.80 points to trade at 377.90 at the close. Meanwhile, British Land Co Plc (LONDON:BLND) added 0.84% or 7.00 points to end at 836.00 and Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC (LONDON:RBS) was up 0.66% or 2.30 points to 351.80 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Johnson Matthey (LONDON:JMAT), which fell 5.26% or 185.00 points to trade at 3331.00 at the close. National Grid (LONDON:NG) declined 5.08% or 46.50 points to end at 869.00 and Royal Mail (LONDON:RMG) was down 4.94% or 26.00 points to 500.00.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1882 to 705 and 430 ended unchanged.
Gold for August delivery was down 0.86% or 10.20 to $1174.70 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July fell 2.53% or 1.51 to hit $58.13 a barrel, while the July Brent oil contract fell 2.56% or 1.64 to trade at $62.16 a barrel.
GBP/USD was up 0.11% to 1.5357, while EUR/GBP fell 0.18% to 0.7336