BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks gave up early gains to edge lower on Thursday, with energy companies and financials moving lower ahead of the ECB meeting and Prime Minister Boris Johnson's coronavirus press conference later in the day.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was down 13 points, or 0.22 percent, at 6,102 after climbing 2.6 percent the previous day.
Consumer goods firm Reckitt Benckiser surged 4.6 percent after it achieved record sales growth in the first quarter and predicted a stronger than expected performance in 2020.
G4S Plc shares rallied 4 percent after the security services company reported a rise in first-quarter revenue.
Hikma Pharma climbed 4.6 percent. The company stuck with its full-year revenue forecast for its generic drug business.
On the flip side, Royal Dutch Shell lost 5 percent after cutting its dividend for the first time in 80 years and suspending the next tranche of its stock buyback program.
Sainsbury declined 2.4 percent. The supermarket chain has warned of a coronavirus hit of £500million over the coming year.
Lloyds Banking tumbled 3.5 percent after its first-quarter profit nosedived 95 percent.
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