March 27 (Reuters) - The UK's main stock indexes were on track for a fourth straight week of losses on Friday, as investors remained on edge due to uncertainty around the Middle East conflict, and fears of a spike in inflation.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new extension of his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face the destruction of its energy facilities, after Tehran rejected Washington's 15-point proposal to end the war.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index fell 0.7% at 1125 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 fell 1.2%. Both indexes were also headed for steep monthly losses.
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Most sub-sectors traded in the red, except healthcare, which rose 1.6%, as positive late-stage trial results for AstraZeneca's experimental respiratory treatment sent the drugmaker's shares up 2.9%.
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Lloyds Banking group fell 1.9% after Britain's Treasury Committee said an IT glitch earlier this month exposed personal data of nearly half a million bank customers.
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Metlen fell 6% to the bottom of the benchmark index after the Greek energy group delayed its FY25 results.
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Official data showed retail sales fell in February after logging the strongest growth in a year and a half in January, with March likely to come under pressure as a war-driven surge in oil prices weighs on households' disposable income.
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Meanwhile, British consumer sentiment fell to its lowest level in nearly a year in March, a closely watched monthly survey showed, as concerns over the economic fallout from the Iran war and the prospect of sharp price rises kept households on edge.
Reporting by Tharuniyaa Lakshmi in Bengaluru; Editing by Diti Pujara
Source: Reuters