FTSE 100 inches up, LSE lags as Hong Kong bourse nixes bid

• The FTSE 100 edged 0.1pc higher by 0707 GMT, with the midcaps also rising by the same level.
• The FTSE 100 gained a bit on Tuesday, with investors hopeful ahead of U.S.-China trade talks later this week.

The FTSE 100 gained a bit on Tuesday, with investors hopeful ahead of U.S.-China trade talks later this week, which overshadowed a slump in LSE after the Hong Kong bourse dropped its takeover bid and recruiters fell after weak trading updates.

The FTSE 100 edged 0.1pc higher by 0707 GMT, with the midcaps also rising by the same level.

Ahead of the trade negotiations, corporate news dominated market moves, with LSE falling 6pc after Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing scrapped its unsolicited $39 billion offer as it failed to convince LSE management.

Recruiters Pagegroup and Robert Walters plunged 15pc and 10.4pc, respectively, after their results revealed that a host of macroeconomic troubles including the U.S.-China trade war, Hong Kong protests and Brexit heavily hindered performance.