U.K. stocks traded lower on Thursday as oil prices slipped in the energy market and the British pound jumped against the dollar on U.S. rate cut hopes.
The latest U.S. initial jobless claims figure will be out later in the day and signs of a weakening labor market could weaken the dollar further.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was marginally lower at 7,722 after rising 0.4 percent on Wednesday.
BP Plc and Shell were down around half a percent each as Benchmark Brent crude futures slipped back below $80 per barrel after major shipping companies began returning to the Red Sea.
Miners Anglo American, Antofagasta and Glencore were trading flat to slightly lower after U.S holiday retail sales figures came in below expectations.
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