BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks fell sharply on Thursday as the British pound hit fresh multi-month highs against both the dollar and euro on reports that Brexit could be delayed by up to two years.
Weak China data, rising geopolitical tensions and lack of progress toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula also dented investor sentiment.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was down 53 points or 0.74 percent at 7,054 in opening deals after declining 0.6 percent the previous day.
Anglo American, Antofagasta and Glencore fell 1-3 percent after data showed activity in China's vast manufacturing sector contracted for a third consecutive month in February.
British American Tobacco tumbled 2.7 percent after announcing a new finance director.
Oil company Petrofac edged up 0.8 percent on posting turnaround results for fiscal year 2018.
Bovis Homes Group gained half a percent. The housebuilder said its fiscal 2018 profit before tax surged 47.4 percent to 168.1 million pounds from 114.0 million pounds last year.
IAG advanced 1.7 percent as it declared a special dividend after posting a 45 percent jump in 2018 net profit.
In economic release, U.K. house price inflation accelerated sharply in February, after slowing in the previous two months, survey data from the Nationwide Building Society showed.
The house price index rose 0.4 percent year-on-year following a 0.1 percent increase in January. Economists had expected a 0.3 percent gain.
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