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* FTSE 100 index closes 0.2 pct lower
* Housebuilders among top fallers
* Randgold rallies after Q4 results
By Atul Prakash and Kit Rees
LONDON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Britain's top equity index endedslightly lower on Monday after hitting a two-week high earlierin the session, with a fall in energy and housebuilding stocksoutpacing a rally in shares of precious metals miners.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index closed 0.2 percentlower at 7,172.15 points after setting an intra-day peak of7,208.73, the highest level since January 20.
Housebuilders Taylor Wimpey, Barratt Developments and Persimmon were down 1.6 to 1.7 percentbefore the launch of the government's latest attempt to fix achronic shortage of new homes..
Housing minister Gavin Barwell said on Sunday the propertymarket was too dependent on large homebuilders. On Tuesday, theUK government will publish details of a new strategy, billed asa major shake-up of the planning and construction system.
"There are concerns that a rise in housing supply followingthe government's likely move could hit margins of housebuildersand force them to slow down the pace of new construction tomaintain a stable supply," said Jawaid Afsar, senior trader atSecurequity.
The market was also hit by a 0.5 percent fall in the UK oiland gas index after crude prices slipped further asa stronger dollar and ample U.S. supplies outweighed OPEC outputcurbs and rising tensions between the United States and Iran.
Shares in Ryanair fell 0.6 percent after the budgetairline said average fares fell more than expected in the lastthree months of 2016 amid a capacity glut in Europe's short-haulmarket.
British Airways-owner IAG fell 2.1 percent.
Gold miners provided some support to the market.
Randgold Resources jumped 4.2 percent, the topgainer in the FTSE 100 index, on stronger gold prices and afterthe reporting a 76 percent surge in its fourth-quarter profits.It said it would increase its annual dividend by 52 percent.
"This is an impressive set of figures," Fiona Cincotta,market analyst at City Index, said in a note.
"Given the heightened uncertainty in the geopolitical arena,with Trump at the helm, gold could be looking to achieve $1,300should the safe-haven trade start to replace the Trump trade,which would serve to boost the miner further."
Fellow precious metals miner Fresnillo gained 1.3percent after gold climbed to its highest in nearly three monthsas worries about the political landscape in the United Statesand Europe reinforced investor interest. (Editing by Larry King)
