Consumer staple stocks drag FTSE 100 lower

The blue-chip index fell 0.4%, with spirits maker Diageo, Dove soap maker Unilever and personal goods maker Reckitt Benckiser Group down between 1.9% and 2.3%. However, gains in commodity stocks kept losses in check. Oil majors BP and Shell rose 1.3% and 1.5%, respectively, after JP Morgan raised its price targets on the companies' shares.

London's FTSE 100 slipped on Tuesday dragged down by consumer staple and healthcare stocks as global growth concerns kept investors on edge. The blue-chip index fell 0.4%, with spirits maker Diageo, Dove soap maker Unilever and personal goods maker Reckitt Benckiser Group down between 1.9% and 2.3%.

However, gains in commodity stocks kept losses in check. Oil majors BP and Shell rose 1.3% and 1.5%, respectively, after JP Morgan raised its price targets on the companies' shares. Miners gained 1.5%, tracking metal prices, on hopes of more stimulus by China and low inventory-led supply worries.

The domestically focused midcap FTSE 250 index declined 0.9%. SSP Group, owner of Upper Crust and other catering brands, slid 5.6% after Deutsche Bank downgraded the company's shares to "hold" from "buy". Spectris rose 3.2% after the electrical engineering firm said it will sell specialist sensor maker Omega Engineering to private equity firm Arcline Investment Management for $525 million.