RENEWED confidence in the Chinese economy fuelled mining stocks but failed to lift the wider London market as investors await key updates from the UK and Europe.
Insurance giant Prudential also performed well, rising more than 4% after strong Asian growth helped it beat expectations with a 22% first-half profits surge.
The FTSE 100 Index closed 9.1 points lower at 6574.3 - losing ground after a positive start when shares were initially lifted by more upbeat news from China.
The data lifted sentiment in Asian markets, despite disappointing figures from Japan showing economic growth for the second quarter of the year had been revised downwards to 2.6%.
Mining firms were riding high on hopes they will benefit from rising Chinese demand, with silver miner Fresnillo topping the FTSE 100 movers board, climbing 68p to 1103p, a rise of more than 6%.
Meanwhile, fellow miners Randgold Resources rose 119p to 4841p and Vedanta Resources was up 24p to 1266p.
On the currency markets, sterling was broadly flat against the dollar at 1.55 and edged up slightly against the euro to 1.16.
The UK's part-nationalised banks were on the front foot, with Royal Bank of Scotland up 3.9p to 329.5p and Lloyds Banking Group rising 0.38p to 75.49p.
Other heavyweight risers included G4S, which was up 8.6p to 244.1p, while pharmaceuticals company AstraZeneca climbed 36p to 3271p.
Prudential performed well in today's session after reporting more booming growth in Asian "sweet-spot" economies.
It said its successful pursuit of Asia's expanding and increasingly-wealthy middle class helped offset a UK market in "flux" as it adjusts to new rules about charging for advice and encouraging staff to join pension plans.
Shares in the group, which makes almost half of its new life sales in Asia, advanced 48p to 1232p as it hiked its dividend 16% and said rising demand in Asia would continue to drive growth this year.
Budget airline easyJet was the heaviest top tier faller, shedding 3.6% or 49p to 1328p as investors took profits after a strong run. That dragged British Airways owner International Airlines Group 11.3p lower to 312.2p.
Meanwhile the UK's biggest pawnbroker H&T dived almost 23%after it slashed its interim dividend and warned second-half profits would be materially below the level achieved in the first half.
It has been hit by the falling price of gold and increased competition, with half-year earnings down by more than a third at £4.6m. Shares fell 38.5p to 132p.
The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were Fresnillo, Prudential, G4S and Randgold Resources.
The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 were easyJet, International Airlines Group, London Stock Exchange, down 43p to 1571p and Rolls-Royce, 27p weaker to 1157p.
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