Kingfisher pulls FTSE lower, trade view still murky

London's FTSE 100 slipped into the red on Wednesday as shares in retailer Kingfisher slumped 8% after its quarterly sales disappointed, and as lack of clarity on the Sino-U.S. trade front remained. After three straight days of gains, the main index fell 0.7%, as trade uncertainty weighed on Asia-exposed financial stocks like HSBC. The FTSE 250 gave up 0.5%, with losses in all but one sectors.

Outperforming the mid-cap index was pub operator Mitchells & Butlers, which jumped 8% after reporting higher annual adjusted operating profit.