LONDON: London's FTSE 100 was weighed down by energy stocks on Thursday as oil prices weakened and a rise in coronavirus cases in major global economies dented broader sentiment.
The bulk of the day's losses came late in the session, tracking a drop in Wall Street as infection rates increased the possibility of new lockdowns in the world's largest economy.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 closed 1.7% lower in its worst day since June 24, with BP PLc and Royal Dutch Shell Plc among those bearing the brunt of the falls.
The domestically-focused midcap index ended the day 1.2% lower.
Aerospace engineer Rolls-Royce fell nearly 11% after it said it had burned through 3 billion pounds in its first-half as the COVID-19 pandemic halved the hours flown by its engines.
Telecommunication major Vodafone shed more than 2% after it said would cost "single figure billions" of pounds to remove equipment made by China's Huawei, if the government were to demand that, as tensions mount between China and the west.
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