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 fell 0.2% to 10,751.59 points by 1710 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 was up 0.1%.
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The precious metal miners index was the biggest drag on the benchmark index, falling 4.7% as gold prices declined 2.8%
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Fresnillo , Endeavour Mining and Antofagasta were among the top losers on the benchmark index
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The energy sector 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
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On the flip side, the beverages index limited losses, rising 0.8%.
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Marks & Spencer 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 0.7% higher
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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
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Money markets priced in a roughly 50% chance of a 25-basis-point BoE rate hike in December, according to LSEG data
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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
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Britons bought more essentials after the government's "Be Ready" campaign launched, though Worldpanel by Numerator found no signs of panic buying
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Among individual movers, Vodafone fell 1% even after the telecoms firm raised its full-year profit and cash flow guidance
Reporting by Tharuniyaa Lakshmi in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Leroy Leo
Source: Reuters