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* FTSE 100 flat, FTSE 250 off 0.1%
Dec 18 (Reuters) - British mid-caps slipped from near
10-month highs on Friday as growing signs of a no-deal Brexit
raised fears of further damage to an economy already slammed by
the COVID-19 pandemic.
The domestically focussed FTSE 250 .FTMC , considered a
barometer for Brexit sentiment, dipped 0.1% after four straight
sessions of gains.
Britain and the European Union struck a pessimistic tone in
trade talks on Thursday, with a spokesman for Prime Minister
Boris Johnson saying it was "very likely" there would be no
agreement unless the bloc changed its position "substantially".
The blue-chip FTSE 100 .FTSE was flat, with energy and
financial stocks among the biggest drags on the index as data
showed retail sales fell 3.8% on the month in November when a
four-week lockdown in England closed stores selling
non-essential goods to the public. In company news, sub-prime lender Morses Club MCLM.L sank
6.3% after reporting a 76% plunge in first-half profit due to
the pandemic.