FTSE 100 closes lower as consumer staples, industrials drag; corporate earnings in focus

Sept 10 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 closed lower on Wednesday, dragged down by consumer staples and industrials, while investors assessed a slew of corporate earnings.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 .FTSE closed down 0.2%, while the domestically focused mid-cap index .FTMC edged 0.3% lower.

In the market, consumer staples firms fell. Associated British Foods ABF.L dropped 13.2%, logging its worst day since 2016, and fell to the bottom of the FTSE 100, after saying underlying sales at its Primark clothing business will decline in its second half.

Other consumer staples stocks such as Marks & Spencer MKS.L and Diageo DGE.L were down 3% and 1.3%, respectively.

Travel and leisure .FTNMX405010 stocks declined 1.9%, with British Airways owner IAG ICAG.L down 4.1%, Wizz Air WIZZ.L falling 2.6% and EasyJet EZJ.L down 2.2%.

Some industrial stocks such as RELX REL.L and Experian EXPN.L also fell 4.2% and 1.1%, respectively.

The technology index .FTUB1010 lost 3.4%. Software firm Sage SGE.L, initially lifted by Oracle's ORCL.N results, was down about 1%.

Medical equipment and services .FTNMX201020 lost 1.6% with Smith+Nephew SN.L and Convatec CTEC.L falling 1.5% and 1.8%, respectively.

Conversely, Heavyweight bank .FTNMX301010 stocks advanced 1.1%, with HSBC HSBA.L up 1.8%.

Aerospace and defence .FTNMX502010 company BAE Systems BAES.L added 2.2%, while Rolls-Royce RR.L rose 1.2%.

The life insurers index .FTNMX303010 rose 1.7% led by Prudential PRU.L that gained 3.4% to top the FTSE 100.

In other moves, Vistry VTYV.L fell 5.7% after saying economic uncertainties could continue to weigh on demand after its first-half profit dropped by a third.

Anglo American AAL.L advanced 1.6%, a day after gaining 9.1% on a $53 billion merger deal with Canada's Teck Resources TECKb.TO. Berenberg upgraded the miner's rating to "hold" from "sell".

London Stock Exchange Group LSEG.L was down about 1% after falling 4.7% in the previous session, hit by competition concerns. However, JPMorgan and other analysts remained constructive.

Haleon's HLN.L rose 1.4% after Goldman Sachs upgraded the consumer healthcare group's rating to "buy" from "neutral."

Serica Energy SQZ.L dropped 14.5% after cutting its 2025 production outlook.

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