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FTSE 100 close lower on Wednesday

Xinhua, April 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

FTSE 100 Index, British benchmark stock market gauge, Wednesday decreased by 1.20 percent, or 84.25 points, to 6,946.28 points, due to gloomy U.S. economic data and ongoing uncertainty in Greece.

U.S. real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 0.2 percent in the first quarter this year, according to an advanced estimate released by the U.S. Commerce Department on Wednesday.

The first quarter GDP showed a sharp slowdown from the fourth quarter's 2.2 percent and below expectations.

Besides, industrial engineer Weir Group's shares jumped as it delivered a better-than-expected first quarter from minerals, its largest division.

Weir Group's share price increased by 5.64 percent, topped the gainers of the blue chips. Next, Royal Mail, InterContinental Hotels Group and Randgold Resources increased by 1.67 percent, 1.51 percent, 1.43 percent and 1.19 percent respectively.

Hikma Pharmaceuticals led the top losers of the blue chips with a share price drop of 3.72 percent, followed by CRH (3.65 percent), Dixons Carphone (3.03 percent), Carnival (3.01 percent) and Unilever (2.83 percent).

The index has gained 7.32 percent so far this year when measured in U.S. dollar. Endit