*

FTSE 100 down 0.2%, FTSE 250 down 0.3%

*

AB Foods slumps on weak Primark sales outlook

*

Haleon ( HLN ) rises after GS upgrade

*

Vistry slips on H1 profit drop

(Updates after market close)

Sept 10 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 closed lower on

Wednesday, dragged down by consumer staples and industrials,

while investors assessed a slew of corporate earnings.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 closed down 0.2%, while the

domestically focused mid-cap index edged 0.3% lower.

In the market, consumer staples firms fell. Associated

British Foods ( ASBFF ) dropped 13.2%, logging its worst day since

2016, and fell to the bottom of the FTSE 100, after saying

underlying sales at its Primark clothing business will decline

in its second half.

Other consumer staples stocks such as Marks & Spencer ( MAKSF )

and Diageo ( DEO ) were down 3% and 1.3%, respectively.

Travel and leisure stocks declined 1.9%, with

British Airways owner IAG down 4.1%, Wizz Air ( WZZAF )

falling 2.6% and EasyJet ( EJTTF ) down 2.2%.

Some industrial stocks such as RELX ( RELX ) and Experian ( EXPGF )

also fell 4.2% and 1.1%, respectively.

The technology index lost 3.4%. Software firm

Sage, initially lifted by Oracle's results, was

down about 1%.

Medical equipment and services lost 1.6% with

Smith+Nephew and Convatec ( CNVVF ) falling 1.5% and 1.8%,

respectively.

Conversely, Heavyweight bank stocks advanced

1.1%, with HSBC ( HSBC ) up 1.8%.

Aerospace and defence company BAE Systems

added 2.2%, while Rolls-Royce rose 1.2%.

The life insurers index rose 1.7% led by

Prudential that gained 3.4% to top the FTSE 100.

In other moves, Vistry fell 5.7% after saying

economic uncertainties could continue to weigh on demand after

its first-half profit dropped by a third.

Anglo American advanced 1.6%, a day after gaining

9.1% on a $53 billion merger deal with Canada's Teck Resources ( TECK )

. Berenberg upgraded the miner's rating to "hold" from

"sell".

London Stock Exchange Group ( LDNXF ) was down about 1% after

falling 4.7% in the previous session, hit by competition

concerns. However, JPMorgan and other analysts remained

constructive.

Haleon's ( HLN ) rose 1.4% after Goldman Sachs upgraded the

consumer healthcare group's rating to "buy" from "neutral."

Serica Energy ( SQZZF ) dropped 14.5% after cutting its 2025

production outlook.