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* FTSE 100 down 0.5%, FTSE 250 adds 0.2%
Feb 24 (Reuters) - Britain's main stock index fell on
Wednesday as a stronger pound weighed on exporters, while Lloyds
Banking Group LLOY.L rose 1.4% after the bank resumed a
dividend despite a sharp drop in annual profit.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index .FTSE was down 0.5% by 0812
GMT as sterling rose to a three-year high against the dollar.
GBP=
Financial and healthcare stocks, mainly HSBC Holdings
HSBA.L , AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) AZN.L , and GlaxoSmithKline GSK.L , were
the biggest drags to the index.
The mid-cap FTSE 250 index .FTMC gained 0.2%, led by
consumer discretionary and industrials stocks.
Metro Bank MTRO.L fell 3.9% as it posted a much bigger
annual loss and said it expects defaults to rise through the
year as government support measures set in place due to the
COVID-19 crisis are wound down. Consumer goods maker Reckitt Benckiser RB.L rose 0.9%
after it capped 2020 with the strongest sales in its history.