The FTSE 100 slipped on Wednesday due to concerns of a disorderly Brexit, while shares of The Hut Group surged in the biggest UK initial public offering since 2013.
The e-commerce firm soared as much as 30% on its first day of trading.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 and the mid-cap FTSE 250 were down 0.03% and 0.2%, respectively, with banking and insurers' stocks being among the biggest decliners.
Fears of a no-deal Brexit have returned to the forefront following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s proposal to breach the divorce treaty with the European Union, raising the risk of another blow to a domestic economy already grappling with fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Investors are now looking to the Bank of England’s policy meeting on Thursday for signs of more stimulus, a day after the U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to wrap up its meeting with a renewed pledge to keep interest rates low for long.
Construction firm Galliford Try Holdings rose 9.8% after it said it expects to return to profitability in fiscal 2021 as site activity resumes and productivity nears normal levels.