*
HSBC ( HSBC ) led gains on FTSE 100 on upbeat profit, $3 bln
buyback
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Hargreaves Lansdown climbs on seeing good momentum in
April
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Prudential slips on lacklustre China JV performance
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FTSE 100 flat, FTSE 250 off 0.6%
(Updated at 1550 GMT)
By Pranav Kashyap, Sruthi Shankar and Khushi Singh
April 30 (Reuters) - Britain's benchmark FTSE 100 ended
subdued on Tuesday, as strength in financials following strong
updates from HSBC ( HSBC ) and Hargreaves Lansdown was offset by a
sell-off in metal mining stocks.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 had extended its record rally
for the sixth straight session earlier in the day, hitting an
all-time high of 8,199.95 points. However, the index ended the
session flat.
The midcap FTSE 250 edged 0.6% lower to 19,965.39
points, after having breached the 20,000 mark in the previous
session.
Both indexes marked their second consecutive monthly gain.
Signs of inflation coming under control, a recovering economy,
upbeat corporate results and reasonable prices is attracting
more buyers to Britain.
"There's a fear of missing out as everything has been rising
for so long, and even at the beginning of April, when we did see
a pullback, FTSE held better than its European and U.S.
counterparts," Daniela Hathorn, senior Market analyst at
Capital.com, said.
The banks index added 2.3% as the top
performing sector, led by a 4.1% jump in HSBC Holdings ( HSBC )
shares after the Asia-focused bank announced a
better-than-expected pretax profit, $3 billion worth of share
buybacks and its CEO Noel Quinn's retirement.
Hargreaves Lansdown jumped 3.6%, after the
investment platform saw good momentum in April as clients
invested at the start of the tax year to claim more benefits.
Whitbread ( WTBCF ) rose 3.9% as the Premier Inn owner
announced a 26% increase in its dividend, a share buy-back
programme worth 150 million pounds ($187 million), and plans to
close 238 underperforming restaurants, resulting in 1,500 job
cuts in Britain.
Limiting gains in the blue-chip index, insurer Prudential
fell 5.4% after its annual premium equivalent sales for
CITIC Prudential Life, its Chinese Mainland joint venture,
slumped 17% in the first quarter.
Meanwhile, precious metal miners led sectoral
declines with a 3.4% fall, while industrial metal miners
lost 1.4%, pressured by firmer dollar that makes
metals expensive for overseas buyers.
Global investors now await the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy
decision on Wednesday.
($1 = 0.7993 pounds)