LONDON (UK) – London shares were muted on Monday as investors feared a second round of lockdowns with the consequent increase in global COVID-19 deaths. With the fatality count crossing half a million, a record plunge in British private-sector activity underlined the economic toll of the pandemic.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 was up 0.1%, with slight gains in industrials, consumer discretionary and financial stocks offsetting a decline in the consumer staples sector.
The mid-cap FTSE 250 rose 0.2%, led by auto, construction, travel and leisure stocks.
Lender Morses Club fell 4% as online accounts provided by it were frozen following action by British regulators against the UK unit of collapsed payments services firm Wirecard.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field.