British mid-caps trip as Brexit mood sours, Grafton slumps

Britain's FTSE 250 slid on Thursday after Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) cast fresh doubts over the prospects of a Brexit deal, while shares of Grafton and rival building materials distributors were hammered after a profit warning. The FTSE 250, up more than 3% since last week amid a flurry of contrasting Brexit headlines, shed 0.5% after the DUP, which supports Boris Johnson's minority government, said it could not back the Brexit deal as it currently stands.

Shares of Grafton slid 10% after it warned on its annual profit, while peers Travis Perkins, Howden Joinery and SIG gave up between 2.3% and 6%. The FTSE 100 edged 0.1% higher by 0714 GMT, helped by gains in Unilever after its quarterly update and as other exporter firms rose due to a weaker pound.