BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks were moving lower on Friday, though markets came off their day's lows amid a slight softening of pound, which powered to record its highest level since December 16 against the euro the previous day.
Meanwhile, concerns over the coronavirus outbreak eased somewhat after the World Health Organization said the dramatic increase in the number of coronavirus cases in China's Hubei province is due to a change in the way suspected cases are diagnosed and reported.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was down 2 points at 7,450 after losing as much as 1.1 percent the previous day.
Royal Bank of Scotland Group shares slumped 6 percent. The bank cut its medium-term returns target after reporting a jump in annual profits.
Property investment and development company SEGRO rose over 1 percent despite its pretax profit falling 18 percent in 2019.
Miners were broadly lower after copper prices fell on the London Metal Exchange on concerns surrounding the demand outlook for the metal.
AstraZeneca edged up slightly after its core operating profit for the final quarter of the year missed expectations.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX