London's FTSE 100 slips as miners drag
Nov 10 (Reuters) - UK's FTSE 100 edged lower on Tuesday as falling gold prices weighed on miners, while investors assessed hawkish comments from Bank of England Deputy Governor Clare Lombardelli.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index .FTSE fell 0.2% to 10,751.59 points by 1710 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 .FTMC was up 0.1%.
The precious metal miners index .FTNMX551030 was the biggest drag on the benchmark index, falling 4.7% as gold prices declined 2.8% GOL/
Fresnillo , Endeavour Mining EDV.L and Antofagasta ANTO.L were among the top losers on the benchmark index
The energy sector .FTNMX601010 fell 1.6% after Brent crude slipped below $90 a barrel as US President Donald Trump downplayed further military action against Iran, easing Middle East supply concerns O/R
On the flip side, the beverages index .FTNMX451010 limited losses, rising 0.8%.
Marks & Spencer MKS.L rose 4% to the top of the benchmark index after the clothing and food retailer forecast profit growth ahead of sales over the medium term, lifting the personal care index .FTNMX452010 0.7% higher
Investors parsed comments from BoE Deputy Governor Clare Lombardelli, who said in a Guardian interview that she would not rule out a December rate hike
Money markets priced in a roughly 50% chance of a 25-basis-point BoE rate hike in December, according to LSEG data
On the data front, British retail spending rose modestly in October despite higher petrol prices, as households pared back spending in some categories ahead of Black Friday deals, a British Retail Consortium survey showed
Britons bought more essentials after the government's "Be Ready" campaign launched, though Worldpanel by Numerator found no signs of panic buying
Among individual movers, Vodafone VOD.L fell 1% even after the telecoms firm raised its full-year profit and cash flow guidance