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* FTSE 100 down 0.1%, FTSE 250 adds 0.4%
July 1 (Reuters) - London's mid-cap index inched higher on
Wednesday as investors clung to hopes of more stimulus and a
pickup in economic activity in the second half of the year,
shrugging off concerns about more possible lockdowns following a
surge in COVID-19 cases.
The domestically focussed FTSE 250 .FTMC was up 0.4% after
closing Tuesday with its best quarter in eight years, partly on
the back of historic global monetary and fiscal stimulus. Early
gains were led by the auto .FTNMX3350 , energy .FTNMX0530 and
retail .FTNMX5370 sectors.
The export-heavy FTSE 100 .FTSE dipped 0.1%, tracking
weakness in Asian stocks following a spike in coronavirus
infections. MKTS/GLOB
Upper Crust owner SSP SSPG.L tumbled 3.8% to the bottom of
the FTSE 250 after saying it could cut about 5,000 jobs in a
proposed restructuring of its UK business due to very low
passenger numbers.