British midcaps slip as Johnson locks down England on surging virus cases

The domestically focussed mid-cap FTSE 250 lost 0.6% as Britain was set for one of the most severe restrictions since its peacetime history after midnight on Thursday till Dec. 2, with a senior cabinet minister warning of extending a lockdown beyond that, if necessary. Pub and restaurant operators J D Wetherspoon Plc, Mitchells & Butlers Plc and Marton's tumbled between 5.5% and 11%.

British midcaps fell on Monday, with pub and restaurant operators among the biggest decliners, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered a one-month national lockdown across England to contain a second wave of coronavirus infections. The domestically focussed mid-cap FTSE 250 lost 0.6% as Britain was set for one of the most severe restrictions since its peacetime history after midnight on Thursday till Dec. 2, with a senior cabinet minister warning of extending a lockdown beyond that, if necessary.

Pub and restaurant operators J D Wetherspoon Plc, Mitchells & Butlers Plc and Marton's tumbled between 5.5% and 11%. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index fell 0.2% with Primark-owner Associated British Foods Plc slipping 3.7% after saying it would lose 375 million pounds of sales from temporary closures of its stores in major markets due to COVID-19 restrictions.

However, Ocado Group Plc jumped 6% after it upgraded the annual core earnings outlook for Ocado Retail Ltd due to strong fourth quarter trading so far.