UPDATE 2-Defensives buoy UK stocks ahead of Fed outcome, U.S. stimulus decision

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* Greggs shares slip despite jump in sales
* Reckitt Benckiser , Card Factory rise after results
* BHP, Rio biggest drag on FTSE 100
* FTSE 100 up 0.4%, FTSE 250 adds 0.7%

(Updates to close)
By Sagarika Jaisinghani and Susan Mathew
July 28 (Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 ended a volatile
session higher on Tuesday as investors hedged with defensive
stocks ahead of some keenly awaited events such as a U.S.
Federal Reserve meeting and a decision on a U.S. stimulus plan.
Consumer .FTNMX3720 .FTNMX3530 , real estate .FTUB8600
.FTNMX8670 , healthcare .FTNMX4570 .FTNMX4530 and utility
.FTNMX7530 stocks led gains, offsetting declines in material
stocks .FTNMX1770 .
The blue-chip FTSE 100 .FTSE closed up 0.4%, while the
mid-cap FTSE 250 .FTMC added 0.7%.
Broader Europe traded mixed, while Wall Street fell as a $1
trillion aid package announced by the U.S. Senate Republicans on
Monday faced immediate opposition from both Democrats and some
Republicans. .EU .N
"The market is lacking one central narrative at the moment,"
said Connor Campbell, markets analyst at SpreadEx. "It's caught
between last week's news and anticipation for the big events
this week.
"We'll have to wait till at least tomorrow evening which is
when the really juicy stuff comes about," he said referring to
the outcome of the Fed meeting. "A more accurate reflection of
how the markets are feeling might be seen by the end of the
week."
The Fed is expected to reiterate its accommodative stance,
with analysts also expecting it to lay the groundwork for more
action later this year.
Massive global stimulus and hopes of an eventual COVID-19
vaccine have seen the FTSE 100 rally for the last three months,
but it has struggled in July as surging coronavirus cases
threaten a nascent economic recovery.
Among individual stocks, greeting card retailer Card Factory
CARDC.L posted its best day in more than a month as sales at
its stores since they reopened had exceeded expectations, while
consumer products maker Reckitt Benckiser RB.L rose 1% on
reporting better-than-expected quarterly results.
Despite posting a jump in sales, food-to-go retailer Greggs
GRG.L slumped 6.2%, as investors fretted about the impact of
social distancing on sales volumes at re-opened stores.

Mining majors BHP BHPB.L and Rio Tinto RIO.L slipped as
iron ore prices declined. IRONORE/