FTSE slips on ex-div trading, U.S.-China trade deal doubts

London's FTSE 100 retreated from a near four-month high on Thursday, weighed down by a handful of stocks trading ex-dividend, subdued U.S.-China trade deal hopes, and a firmer pound.

The blue-chip index fell 0.5% by 0810 GMT, underperforming the European benchmark, with Vodafone and chemicals firm Johnson Mathey shedding over 3% each as they traded without entitlement to dividend pay-out. Asia-focussed HSBC and miners also dragged on the blue-chip bourse, after tensions between the United States and China over the Hong Kong situation threatened to derail hopes of progress in their trade talks.

The FTSE 250, which scaled a near 1-1/2 year high in the previous session, was flat. Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank owner Virgin Money UK jumped 13%, which analysts cited to reassuring the 2020 forecast.