The FTSE 100 finished slightly lower on Wednesday as losses among heavyweight mining stocks outweighed strong performances from Barratt Redrow and ICG, with weaker-than-expected economic growth in China weighing on sentiment across the resources sector.
London’s leading index closed down 0.1%, while the FTSE 250 gained 0.2%, supported by advances in housebuilders and a rebound in Vistry following recent selling pressure.
Mining shares came under pressure after China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported that the world’s second-largest economy expanded by 4.3% year-on-year during the second quarter, slowing from 5.0% growth in the opening three months of the year.
The weaker figures hit companies exposed to demand from China, leaving Fresnillo down 3.0%, Anglo American 3.4% lower, Antofagasta off 2.6% and Endeavour Mining losing 2.5%.
Among the strongest performers on the FTSE 100, ICG climbed 5.5% after reporting net additions to fee-earning assets of $2.4 billion. Gross additions reached $4.4 billion, comfortably ahead of the $3.0 billion forecast compiled by Visible Alpha, according to Jefferies, despite $2.0 billion of realisations during the period.
Barratt Redrow added 4.3% after announcing a £386 million share buyback alongside what it described as a solid finish to its 2026 financial year. Home completions reached the top end of guidance and the company said future capital returns would favour additional buybacks, a move that follows calls from shareholder Phoenix Asset Management Partners for a more aggressive repurchase programme.
On the FTSE 250, Vistry advanced 6.6% after chief executive Adam Daniels purchased 38,372 shares, signalling confidence following recent weakness in the housebuilder’s share price.
B&M European Value Retail was among the session’s biggest fallers, dropping 5.4% after reporting UK like-for-like sales growth that failed to meet market expectations.
Elsewhere in Europe, the CAC 40 in Paris ended 0.2% higher, while Germany’s DAX 40 slipped 0.6%.
US markets traded higher as investors welcomed another round of softer inflation data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both gained around 0.2% to 0.3%.
Fresh figures from the US Labor Department showed producer prices fell 0.3% in June from the previous month, marking the first monthly decline since August 2025 as lower energy costs eased wholesale inflation.
Annual producer price inflation also slowed to 5.5% from a revised 6.0% in May, reinforcing optimism after consumer inflation data released a day earlier came in below expectations.