London Stocks Slip Amid Weak Commodity Prices and Awaited Economic Indicators

London stocks dipped on Monday due to declines in commodity-linked shares, with investors closely watching for further indications on monetary policy from major central banks. While the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indexes were slightly down, notable corporate movements included Britvic's acquisition by Carlsberg and Ocado's expanded partnership with Aeon.

London stocks took a hit on Monday, dragged down by resource shares as commodity prices dropped. Investors were also keenly awaiting more signals about the monetary policy directions from major central banks.

The FTSE 100 declined by 0.2%, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 slipped by 0.1% at 0717 GMT. The mid-cap index had previously reached a two-year high amid optimism over a Labour Party victory boosting the economy.

Precious and industrial metal miners saw declines of 0.8% and 1.1%, respectively, due to lower gold and copper prices driven by profit-taking and weak physical consumption in China. Energy shares fell 0.8% as oil prices dipped following a potential Gaza ceasefire, along with concerns over U.S. energy disruption from Tropical Storm Beryl.

Investors are focusing this week on significant consumer price index figures from the U.S. and domestic GDP numbers, which might provide insights into future interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. Recent U.S. data showed slower job growth and higher unemployment, increasing the likelihood of a September rate cut.

With the UK election concluded, attention shifts back to economic data to predict the Bank of England's upcoming decisions. In corporate news, Britvic's shares surged 4.5% following an acquisition agreement by Carlsberg, which also saw its own stock rise by 3.9%. The UK beverages sector experienced a 0.6% increase. Ocado led the FTSE 250 with a 5.3% gain after announcing an expanded partnership with Japan's Aeon to build a third robotic warehouse.

(With inputs from agencies.)