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* FTSE 100 down 1.5%, FTSE 250 slides 1.8%
* Miners, airlines, autos lead declines
* StanChart slips after warning on virus hit
* Tobacco firm BATS gains on strong results
(Adds comments, details; updates prices)
By Sagarika Jaisinghani and jain Devik
Feb 27 (Reuters) - London-listed shares took another beating
on Thursday, as a sharp rise in the number of coronavirus cases
outside China raised fears of a global pandemic, while Standard
Chartered joined a list of blue-chip firms to be hit by the
epidemic.
The Asia-focussed bank fell 2.7% after warning that
a key earnings target would take longer to meet as the epidemic
added to headwinds in its main markets of China and Hong Kong.
Rival HSBC slipped 2.8% in ex-dividend trading.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 fell 1.5%, while the
domestically focussed mid-cap index shed 1.8%.
Sectors most exposed to China for revenue, including autos
and miners, lost between 2% and 4.7%,
as investors grew increasingly worried about the impact of the
outbreak on global supply chains.
Economic data for January had been fairly upbeat, but
analysts have since sharply cut their forecasts for economic
growth in China. J.P. Morgan now expects Chinese GDP to shrink
3.9% this quarter, while Capital Economics sees it outright
contracting.
"Things will become further complicated from next week
onwards because each piece of economic data that comes out is
going to more clearly reflect the economic situation globally,"
said Connor Campbell, analyst at Spreadex in London.
London's main index has now fallen in five of the past six
sessions as the spread of the deadly virus deepens in Europe.
Italy has emerged as the epicentre of the outbreak, while
Germany said it is already impossible to trace all chains of
infection.
Sentiment had received a modest boost late on Wednesday with
U.S. investors buying back into equities, but global markets
tumbled again on Thursday as the rate of infections in China was
overtaken for the first time by new cases elsewhere.
In news-driven moves, British household goods maker Reckitt
Benckiser fell as much as 5% to an over three-month low
in early trading after the company posted lower annual
comparable sales. However, the stock later reversed course to
add 1%.
WPP, the world's biggest advertising company,
tumbled almost 15% to its lowest since 2012 after reporting a
disappointing fourth quarter.
Britain's second-largest homebuilder, Persimmon,
shed 5.2% as it said Chief Executive Officer David Jenkinson
would step down, months after saying it would address concerns
over the quality of its homes.
In a bright spot, world No.2 tobacco maker British American
Tobacco rose 1.7% as it reported upbeat annual revenue,
aided by relatively strong results in its traditional tobacco
business and new segments.
(Additional reporting by Tom Westbrook in Singapore; Editing by
Bernard Orr)
