The FTSE 100 declined for a third straight session on Wednesday, slipping to a three-week low and finishing September 2% lower. That followed a 0.4% fall in August, leaving the index with back-to-back monthly losses. Even so, it managed a 1.1% gain over the third quarter, supported by a 5.3% rise in July that extended its winning streak to seven consecutive quarters—the longest run in more than 20 years.
Wednesday’s performance was dragged down by banks, energy and pharmaceutical stocks. Among lenders, HSBC fell 0.7%, Barclays and Lloyds Banking Group each lost 0.4%, and Standard Chartered dropped 1%. In the energy sector, Shell slipped 0.6% and BP also edged lower. Pharmaceuticals were weaker as AstraZeneca declined 0.7% and GSK retreated 1.3%.
Offsetting some of the pressure, Antofagasta advanced 2.7%, while utilities SSE and National Grid rose 2% and 1.8%, respectively. On the macroeconomic front, revised data showed UK GDP grew 0.5% in the second quarter, up from a previous estimate of 0.4%.
