(For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock
markets, click LIVE/ or type LIVE/ in a news window)
* FTSE 100 down 0.1%, FTSE 250 adds 0.2%
Feb 19 (Reuters) - The FTSE 100 was muted on Friday as a
bigger-than-expected drop in January retail sales underscored
the business damage from a prolonged nationwide lockdown, while
NatWest group fell after swinging to an annual loss.
The commodity-heavy FTSE 100 .FTSE was down 0.1%, with BP
BP.L and Royal Dutch Shell RDSa.L falling 1.3% and 1.1%,
respectively.
Data on Friday showed British retail sales tumbled much more
than expected in January as non-essential shops went back into
coronavirus lockdowns. Flash readings of business activity data,
due at 0930 GMT, are likely to show the services sector
struggling to return to growth in February. In company news, NatWest NWG.L fell 0.1% after the company
swung to a full-year loss for 2020 after COVID-19 lockdowns
crunched household spending. UK real estate investment trust Segro Plc SGRO.L rose 0.3%
after posting an 11% jump in annual profit for 2020.