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* FTSE 100 down 0.5%, FTSE 250 off 0.1%
June 24 (Reuters) - London stocks retreated on Wednesday as
a spike in novel coronavirus cases across the globe compounded
fears of a second wave of the pandemic, while builder Crest
Nicholson tumbled after issuing a grim forecast for the year.
The homebuilder CRST.L fell 2.9% to the bottom of the FTSE
250 as it posted a first-half pretax loss and said it expected
annual adjusted pretax profit to fall around 60% to 70% due to
coronavirus-led disruptions. The blue-chip FTSE 100 .FTSE was down 0.5% and the
domestically focussed FTSE 250 .FTMC 0.1%, with financial,
consumer staple and industrial stocks among the biggest drags.
A day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson further relaxed a
coronavirus-induced lockdown, top medics warned British
political parties that local flare-ups of the new coronavirus
are likely and a second wave is a real risk. In a bright spot, Mr Kipling cakes maker Premier Foods Plc
PFD.L rose 2% after forecasting revenue and trading profit for
the new year to be above current estimates.