FTSE 100 weighed down by jobless data, Rolls-Royce

div classBodysc17zpet90 cdBBJodivpReuters – Londons FTSE 100 fell on Tuesday as data underscored a tight labour market, with healthcare and consumer staples stocks weighing the most, while RollsRoyce declined to the bottom of the bluechip index after brokerage action.p

pThe FTSE 100 dropped 0.8, with GlaxoSmithKline, Diageo, HSBC Holdings and AstraZeneca down between 0.9 and 2.2, while the domestically focused midcap FTSE 250 index declined 0.7.pdivdivdiv classBodysc17zpet90 cdBBJodiv

pRollsRoyce slumped 5.6 after JP Morgan downgraded the aero engineers stock to “underweight” from “neutral”.p

pOfficial figures showed Britains jobless rate slipped further below its level immediately before the coronavirus pandemic, underscoring the risk of inflation pressure in the labour market that has the Bank of England on alert.p

pASOS slid 5.1 after the online fashion retailer reported an 87 fall in firsthalf profit, reflecting supply chain constraints impacting stock availability and cost inflation.p

pBroadly, mood was cautious as investors awaited U.S. inflation data, due later in the day, that could reinforce the Federal Reserves stance to aggressively tighten its pandemicera monetary policy. [GLOBMKTS]p