BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks slipped into the red on Thursday as growth worries pulled down mining stocks and insurers fell on going ex-dividend.
The pound held its gains after EU leaders gave British Prime Minister Theresa May until October to leave the bloc.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was down 6 points at 7,415 in opening deals after declining 0.1 percent in the previous session.
Anglo American, Antofagasta and Glencore fell 1-2 percent, as dovish messages being sent from the ECB and the Federal Reserve added to investor concerns over slowing global growth.
Insurer Standard Life Aberdeen tumbled 4.6 percent on going ex-dividend.
Shares of Grafton Group rallied 2.7 percent. The building materials company has conditionally agreed to acquire Netherlands-based Polvo BV from the privately owned Pallieter Group for 131 million euros on a debt and cash free basis.
Scapa Group soared 11.4 percent. The supplier of adhesive-based products has reported higher revenues in its fiscal 2018.
Ted Baker slid half a percent as it ended an independent investigation conducted by the law firm Herbert Smith Freehills into allegations of misconduct involving its former chief executive officer Ray Kelvin.
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