Investing.com – U.K. stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Forestry & Paper, Chemicals and Oil & Gas Producers sectors led shares lower.
At the close in London, the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 declined 1.15% to hit a new 52-week low.
The best performers of the session on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 were Capita PLC (LON:CPI), which rose 3.61% or 6.80 points to trade at 195.20 at the close. Meanwhile, Direct Line Insurance Group PLC (LON:DLGD) added 2.71% or 10.00 points to end at 378.50 and Admiral Group PLC (LON:ADML) was up 1.81% or 33.00 points to 1852.50 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Johnson Matthey PLC (LON:JMAT), which fell 4.34% or 141.00 points to trade at 3110.00 at the close. Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (LON:HIK) declined 3.30% or 29.40 points to end at 862.00 and Pearson PLC (LON:PSON) was down 3.26% or 22.20 points to 658.80.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1448 to 569 and 127 ended unchanged.
Shares in Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (LON:HIK) fell to 3-years lows; falling 3.30% or 29.40 to 862.00.
Gold Futures for April delivery was up 0.04% or 0.50 to $1319.50 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March fell 3.07% or 1.88 to hit $59.27 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract fell 2.85% or 1.85 to trade at $62.96 a barrel.
GBP/USD was down 0.95% to 1.3780, while EUR/GBP rose 0.72% to 0.8865.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.22% at 90.39.