LONDON MARKETS: U.K. Stocks Weak After Carney Comments On QE

By Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Most U.K. stocks dropped and the pound rose on Friday after Bank of England Governor Mark Carney reportedly said he sees no need for further bond-buying to spur the U.K. economy.

The FTSE 100 index gave up 0.3% to 6,547.94, on track for a 0.7% weekly loss.

Meanwhile, the pound (GBPUSD) jumped against most major currencies, trading at $1.6072 from $1.6039 on late Thursday.

The moves came after the BOE boss told the Yorkshire Post that the case for expanding the central bank's bond-buying program has weakened as the economy has started to pick up.

"My personal view is, given the recovery has strengthened and broadened, I don't see a case for quantitative easing and I have not supported it," he told the paper.

He said, however, that the central bank would consider more quantitative easing if the recovery falters.

Underlining Carney's point about the recovery, market research firm GfK said consumer confidence in the U.K. rose to -10 in September from -13 in August, marking the highest level since 2007.

The upbeat data weren't, however, enough to lift the U.K.'s benchmark index, partly due to drops for the mining firms on the back of mostly weaker metals prices. Shares of Anglo American PLC fell 1.9%, Rio Tinto PLC (RIO) dropped 2%, and BHP Billiton PLC (BHP) gave up 1.6%.

Banks were also broadly lower, with shares of Barclays PLC (BCS) 0.9% lower, Standard Chartered PLC down 0.3% and heavyweight HSBC Holdings PLC (HBC) off 0.1%.

On a more upbeat note, shares of Bunzl PLC climbed 1.7% after Goldman Sachs lifted the distribution and outsourcing company to neutral from sell.

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