A more hawkish tilt by the British and Norwegian central banks hinted at a similar outlook, while analysts said markets would likely end the year on a strong note
Profit-taking added to the cautious start to the day with some of the wind appearing to have come out of buyers' sails, having pushed valuations up for more than a week
China's drive to tighten its grip on the world's number two economy with a swathe of new regulations for private enterprises is also weighing on sentiment