Source: Sharecast
The FTSE 100 was down 0.9% at 7,315.62.
Sentiment took a turn for the worse after the chief medical officer for England said that two people from the same family had tested positive for coronavirus in the UK. They are being treated at a specialist centre in Newcastle after being taken there overnight.
Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at Markets.com, said: "Coronavirus fears are the likely culprit for today’s malaise, with two cases now confirmed in the UK highlighting the risk of the disease spreading further outside of China. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that traders get spooked when it’s closer to home.
"Given the recent lockdown to prevent its spread, and the roughly two-week incubation period, one senses the key window for new cases in Europe is the coming week. Some de-risking going into the week- and month-end is also perhaps in play."
Meanwhile, sterling was up but off earlier highs, having received a boost on Thursday after the Bank of England decided to stand pat on interest rates. The pound was up 0.2% against the dollar at 1.3118.
Spreadex analyst Connor Campbell said: “Despite Friday being Brexit day, the UK leaving the EU around three years, seven months and one week on from the original referendum, sterling was in a very good mood.
"Still riding high from the fact the Bank of England didn’t cut rates on Thursday, while perhaps expressing some relief that Britain can move onto the more important trade negotiations part of Brexit."
In equity markets, Hargreaves Lansdown was in the red as it posted a rise in interim pre-tax profit but a decline in net new business.
Senior suffered heavy losses after the engineering group, which supplies parts for Boeing's grounded 737 MAX, said full-year aerospace revenue would be lower as production of the troubled aircraft remained halted.
On the upside, shares of Aston Martin rallied after it said that a consortium led by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll will inject £182m into the company in return for a 16.7% stake. In addition, the luxury car maker will launch a £318m rights issue at £4 per share after the release of its 2019 preliminary results.
Britvic gained ground as the drinks maker said it was confident of meeting market expectations for the year after a “robust” first quarter, during which revenue rose 4.9%.
Market Movers
FTSE 100 (UKX) 7,315.62 -0.90%
FTSE 250 (MCX) 21,294.04 0.01%
techMARK (TASX) 4,147.13 -0.43%
FTSE 100 - Risers
Pearson (PSON) 573.40p 1.34%
Polymetal International (POLY) 1,283.00p 1.34%
Reckitt Benckiser Group (RB.) 6,362.00p 0.86%
Informa (INF) 778.80p 0.59%
Scottish Mortgage Inv Trust (SMT) 585.00p 0.52%
Spirax-Sarco Engineering (SPX) 8,980.00p 0.50%
DCC (DCC) 6,210.00p 0.49%
Persimmon (PSN) 3,054.00p 0.46%
Aveva Group (AVV) 4,972.00p 0.44%
Imperial Brands (IMB) 1,931.00p 0.42%
FTSE 100 - Fallers
Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.) 1,752.00p -6.78%
NMC Health (NMC) 1,254.50p -2.64%
Whitbread (WTB) 4,436.00p -2.57%
Evraz (EVR) 359.40p -2.44%
Antofagasta (ANTO) 834.80p -2.36%
Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) 56.67p -2.18%
Burberry Group (BRBY) 1,972.50p -2.11%
Ashtead Group (AHT) 2,501.00p -2.00%
Croda International (CRDA) 5,005.00p -1.96%
Smith & Nephew (SN.) 1,840.00p -1.89%
FTSE 250 - Risers
Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings (AML) 471.40p 17.06%
Avast (AVST) 414.80p 5.01%
Britvic (BVIC) 910.00p 3.88%
PureTech Health (PRTC) 315.00p 3.28%
Network International Holdings (NETW) 620.00p 3.16%
Foresight Solar Fund Limited (FSFL) 119.00p 3.03%
Galliford Try (GFRD) 146.94p 2.78%
Bakkavor Group (BAKK) 138.00p 2.53%
Syncona Limited NPV (SYNC) 220.00p 2.33%
Intermediate Capital Group (ICP) 1,738.00p 2.30%
FTSE 250 - Fallers
Finablr (FIN) 78.00p -8.24%
Kainos Group (KNOS) 778.00p -5.12%
Virgin Money UK (VMUK) 167.20p -4.46%
Ferrexpo (FXPO) 136.75p -2.60%
Mediclinic International (MDC) 368.30p -2.59%
Senior (SNR) 163.70p -1.98%
Cineworld Group (CINE) 175.65p -1.87%
Playtech (PTEC) 343.00p -1.80%
Paragon Banking Group (PAG) 501.00p -1.76%
Renishaw (RSW) 4,018.00p -1.71%