London’s FTSE 100 slipped around 0.3% on Thursday, easing back from Wednesday’s record close, even as other major European indices, including Germany’s DAX, France’s CAC 40, and Spain’s Ibex 35, traded higher in early trading.
Aviva was among the index’s biggest fallers after unveiling new three-year financial targets, despite having achieved its 2026 ambitions a year early. Shares in the insurer fell as investors digested the new outlook.
Private equity group 3i also traded lower after reporting its interim results.
Rolls-Royce declined about 1% after the engineering group maintained its full-year guidance, with investors taking profits following a strong run for the stock.
Burberry offered a rare bright spot, gaining 2% after reporting its first comparable store sales growth in two years, a sign of improving momentum for the luxury fashion brand.
Endeavour Mining shares rallied after the gold producer reported strong third-quarter results, with production of 264,000 ounces in the period and 911,000 ounces for the year to date, keeping it on track for the top half of its 2025 guidance range.
Economic data from the Office for National Statistics added to the cautious tone. UK GDP grew just 0.1% in the third quarter, below the 0.2% expected by economists, following a 0.3% expansion in the previous quarter.
Output also contracted 0.1% in September, underlining the fragile nature of the U.K. recovery as growth momentum slows into the year-end.
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