FX.co ★ FTSE 100 Falls on Wednesday

On Wednesday, the FTSE 100 experienced a decline as the downturn in healthcare and banking stocks overshadowed the advancements in the energy and mining sectors. The pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca saw a decrease of 2.4%, while GlaxoSmithKline's shares dropped over 2%. In the banking sector, HSBC's shares fell by 1.4%, Barclays by 1.8%, Lloyds by 0.5%, and NatWest by 0.8%. Burberry emerged as the day's weakest performer, plummeting nearly 5% after underwhelming results from luxury competitor LVMH. On the brighter side, stocks in the precious metals and oil sectors offered some relief, with Endeavour gaining approximately 4%, and both Shell and BP increasing by 1.5% and 1%, respectively. Investors exhibited caution as they awaited the US Federal Reserve's first rate decision of the year, which is widely anticipated to maintain current rates unchanged, with traders seeking insights into future potential shifts in monetary policy.