* Unilever hits over 5-month high as sales fall less than
feared
* G4S gains on beating first-half operating profit estimates
* Weak Wall St, U.S. jobs data spurs late-session losses
(Updates to close)
By Sagarika Jaisinghani and Ambar Warrick
July 23 (Reuters) - British stocks ended well off session
highs on Thursday, barely staying positive as optimism over
corporate earnings was offset by a discouraging U.S. jobs report
and rising COVID-19 cases.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index ended up 0.1% and was
kept above negative territory by a 7.9% jump in anglo-Dutch
consumer behemoth Unilever, after its second-quarter
sales fell much less than expected.
Software maker Sage Group PLC and miner Polymetal
International PLC were among the best performing
blue-chip stocks after they both posted stronger earnings.
The mid-cap FTSE 250 rose 0.1%, boosted by security
contractor G4S after it reported a higher-than-expected
first-half operating profit.
Russian gold miner Petropavlovsk PLC topped the
midcap index after marking strong production over the first
half.
"Business resilience is a much sought-after attribute in the
current economic climate and Unilever has certainly got the
right ingredients," said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ
Bell.
Most other British stocks trended lower as global novel
coronavirus cases continued to rise. A bulk of losses for the
day came after a weak open on Wall Street, in the wake of data
suggesting a recovery in the U.S. labour market was stalling.
Financials and utilities weighed the most on the FTSE 100,
while the midcap index was bogged down by consumer discretionary
stocks.
"...with high uncertainty with the direction of the
coronavirus, businesses will likely struggle to justify
hirings," Edward Moya, Senior Market Analyst at OANDA, New York,
wrote in a note.
A raft of global stimulus, improving economic data and hopes
of a COVID-19 vaccine have put UK stock indexes on track for
their fourth straight month of gains, but analysts remain wary
of Sino-U.S. tensions and increased coronavirus cases stymieing
further gains.
Asian equity markets were weaker earlier in the day
following Washington's order to Beijing to close its consulate
in Houston, Texas amid accusations of spying.
(Reporting by Sagarika Jaisinghani in Bengaluru; Editing by
Shounak Dasgupta/ ubhranshu Sahu)
