FTSE 100 Modestly Lower In Cautious Trade As Investors Await U.S. Tariff Moves

(RTTNews) - The U.K. stock market is modestly lower Tuesday afternoon as investors await Trump administration's moves on trade pacts with major countries in Europe and elsewhere ahead of the July 9 deadline for reciprocal tariffs.

The benchmark FTSE 100, which climbed to 8,789.61 earlier in the session, was down 21.46 points or 0.24% at 8,739.50 a few minutes ago.

Among the notable losers in the FTSE 100 index, Melrose Industries, Convatec Group, Barratt Redrow, Taylor Wimpey, Standard Chartered, Persimmon, Natwest Group and Barclays are down 2 to 3.4%.

Hiscox, Ashtead, Vistry Group, J Sainsbury, HSBC Holdings, RightMove and Rolls-Royce Holdings are lower by 1 to 1.7%.

B&M European Value Retail is gaining nearly 5%. Endeavour Mining is up 2.7%, while Glencore, JD Sports Fashion and Antofagasta are advancing nearly 2.5%.

National Grid, Fresnillo, Entain, Compass Group, National Grid, Whitbread and Vodafone are also notably higher.

In economic news, the UK factory sector deteriorated at a slower pace in June as the decline in output, new orders, and employment moderated, the purchasing managers' survey results from S&P Global showed.

The final manufacturing PMI rose to a five-month high of 47.7 in June, as estimated, from May's nearly 18-month low of 46.4. However, the score remained below the neutral level of 50.0, suggesting contraction.

Data from the Nationwide Building Society showed UK house prices logged a slower growth in June reflecting weaker demand after the increase in stamp duty at the start of April.

House prices advanced 2.1% year-on-year in June, slower than the 3.5% increase seen in May, the data said. House price growth was expected to moderate to 3.3%.

Prices fell by more-than-expected 0.8% on a monthly basis, in contrast to the 0.4% gain in May. Economists had forecast a 0.2% fall. This was the biggest fall in more than two years.