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* FTSE 100 down 0.6%, FTSE 250 off 0.4%
July 8 (Reuters) - London-listed shares slid for a second
straight day on Wednesday as another jump in global cases of the
novel coronavirus clouded hopes for an economic rebound in the
second half of the year, while FirstGroup tumbled on flagging
going concern doubts.
The bus and rail operator FGP.L fell 4.7% after it also
posted an annual operating loss as passenger volumes plummeted
due to the health crisis. The blue-chip FTSE 100 .FTSE was off 0.6% and the mid-cap
FTSE 250 .FTMC 0.4%, with banks .FTNMX8350 , energy
.FTNMX0530 and auto .FTNMX3350 stocks among the biggest
decliners in early trading.
All eyes later in the day will be on finance minister's
Rishi Sunak's statement where he is expected to announce a new
scheme to stave off youth unemployment as he attempts to
revitalise the economy following its COVID-19 lockdown.
HSBC HSBA.L fell 3.5% to the bottom of the FTSE 100 after
a report said U.S. President Donald Trump's top advisers weighed
proposals to undermine the Hong Kong currency's peg to the U.S.
dollar. The proposal could possibly limit the ability of Hong
Kong banks to buy dollars.