FTSE 100 Dips On Mixed Earnings

(RTTNews) - U.K. stocks were slightly lower on Thursday as investors reacted to mixed earnings results and awaited comments from Federal Reserve officials for additional clues on the rate outlook.

The benchmark FTSE 100 was down 32 points, or 0.4 percent, at 8,414 after rising 0.2 percent on Wednesday.

Oil & gas giant BP Plc fell 2.1 percent on going ex-dividend.

Lo-cost airline easyJet slumped 6 percent after posting a slightly larger than expected pre-tax loss of £350 million ($443 million) for the first half of the year.

Telecom company BT soared 11 percent after the new boss of the company set out a path to more than double free cash flow over the next five years.

Future Plc shares soared 13.7 percent. The publishing company announced a share buyback program of up to 45 million pounds ($57.1 million) after reporting a return to growth in the past quarter.

Software company Sage Group lost nearly 13 percent despite reporting a robust first-half performance.