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Blue chips snapped a four-day hot streak in London on Thursday, despite strong gains by Tesco, but remained in touching distance of Wednesday’s record highs.
The FTSE 100 Index closed down 18.70 points, 0.2%, at 9,427.73.
The FTSE 250 ended down just 2.40 points at 22,047.30, and the AIM All-Share advanced 2.54 points, 0.3%, at 788.95.
Investors in Tesco received a double dose of good news with better-than-expected first-half trading and a report suggesting that UK retailers are set to escape the top business rate tax band.
Shares in the Welwyn Garden City-based food retailer climbed 5.3%, the biggest riser on the FTSE 100.
Financial Times sources said the Treasury was moving to take large retail premises out of the highest bracket of the property levy after a recent “tense” meeting
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