By Carla Mozee, MarketWatch
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- U.K. stocks pulled back Friday, in
broad-based losses that were pushing the FTSE 100 benchmark toward
its worst weekly drop in more than two years.
The FTSE 100 fell 1.2% to 6,385.48, on track for a fifth
consecutive decline, to round off a week when oil prices tumbled to
five-year lows and investors continued to fret about slower global
growth. The London benchmark is set to be down 5.4%, which would be
the largest weekly drop since March 2012, according to FactSet.
Only six of the benchmark's components were moving higher,
topped by utility companies United Utilities PLC and Severn Trent
PLC as they rose 3.8% and 3.5%, respectively.
Home builder Persimmon PLC fell 3.8%, losing the most on the
FTSE 100. Sector-wise, the basic materials and oil and gas groups
were each down roughly 1.6%. Miner Randgold Resources PLC gave up
2.1%, and oil-services provider Petrofac Ltd. fell 3.4%.
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