UPDATE 1-Britain's FTSE posts worst quarter since 2011

Thu, 29th Mar 2018 17:05

* FTSE 100 up 0.17 percent on the day

* FTSE ends first quarter with 8.2 percent loss

* GKN surges after Melrose bid acceptance(Adds closing prices)

By Kit Rees and Julien Ponthus

LONDON, March 29 (Reuters) - Melrose's successful bid forGKN helped the UK's top share index finish the month on apositive note on Thursday and gave a mildly upbeat end to theFTSE 100's worst quarter since 2011.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 was up 0.17 percent on theday at 7,056.61 points as traders prepared for a market holiday.

GKN surged about 9 percent in late trading afterMelrose Industries announced it had narrowly clinchedan 8 billion pound ($11 billion) takeover of the Britishengineering firm after a three-month battle for control.

The FTSE 100 ended the first three months of 2018 with aloss of 8.2 percent, its worst quarter since 2011 and making itthe weakest-performing major European market so far this year.It was closely followed by Germany's exporter-heavy DAX, which lost 6.3 percent over the same period.

British stocks had a bumpy first-quarter ride, marred by aspate of profit warnings and trouble in the retail andoutsourcing sectors as Brexit uncertainty hangs over equities.

"There's been negative sentiment towards UK equities for asignificant period now, stemming all the way back to the EUreferendum," Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at HargreavesLansdown, said.

"What we've had in 2018 is more of a global phenomenon, sowe've had a bit of volatility returning to markets," saidKhalaf, adding that this is a more normal state of affairs formarkets.

On the domestic front, high street stalwarts such asDebenhams, Mothercare and Moss Broshave tumbled after profit warnings, examples of retailersstruggling in a digital age.

The collapse of outsourcer Carillion has furtherdented confidence in UK domestic stocks, while peer Capitahas slashed profit forecasts and made plans to raisecash to avoid a similar fate.

The outlook is uncertain not just for UK domestics, however.A resurgent pound has reduced the forex-related boost enjoyed bybig, international FTSE companies that benefited from anaccounting boost following sterling's slump in the immediateaftermath of the June 2016 Brexit vote.

A spike in volatility in February rattled global stockmarkets, which have also been hit by concerns over the prospectof a global trade war and a tumble in the U.S. tech sector.

(Reporting by Kit Rees and Julien PonthusEditing by Keith Weir and Dale Hudson)