BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks fell on Thursday as the pound strengthened and the latest batch of corporate earnings results disappointed.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was down 43 points, or 0.6 percent, at 7,288 after rising 0.3 percent in the previous session.
Lender HSBC Holdings dropped 1 percent as it lowered its Hong Kong prime lending rate for the first time in 11 years, underscoring the economic challenges facing the country.
Lloyds Banking Group fell over 2 percent after reporting a 97 percent plunge in pre-tax profit for the third quarter from last year. The company also said its Chief Operating Officer, Juan Colombas, plans to retire from the Group in July 2020.
BP Plc and Tullow Oil fell over 1 percent each as oil prices fluctuated after the release of weak PMI data from China.
Royal Dutch Shell tumbled 3 percent after it warned that a slowing global economy could slow its $25 billion share buyback program.
International Cons Airlines Group edged down slightly after its third-quarter profit declined to 1.01 billion euros from 1.11 billion euros in the prior year.
Medical technology business Smith+Nephew rose half a percent after its third-quarter revenue increased 6.5 percent on a reported basis and 4 percent on an underlying basis.
DS Smith declined 1.3 percent. The corrugated packaging giant said that the industry and business trends have remained consistent with the company's earlier trading update of 3 September 2019.
Telecom company BT Group gained half a percent after its first-half profit before tax came in broadly flat with that of last year.
Shares of carpet and floor coverings retailer Carpetright plunged as much as 47 percent. Having explored the viability of various long-term financing solutions to repay its debt facilities, the company said it is in talks with Meditor on a possible offer by Meditor to acquire all of the issued and to be issued shares of Carpetright.
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