BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks declined on Friday after three Federal Reserve officials sounded caution about the need to keep interest-rate cuts in check.
Meanwhile, U.K. house prices declined for the first time in six months in March, data published by the mortgage lender Halifax showed earlier today.
House prices dropped 1.0 percent on a monthly basis in March, in contrast to the 0.3 percent rise in February.
This was the first decrease since September. Prices were expected to climb 0.3 percent.
On a yearly basis, house price growth eased to 0.3 percent from 1.6 percent in the prior month. Prices were expected to climb 1.5 percent.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was down 78 points, or 1 percent, at 7,898 after adding half a percent on Thursday.
Housebuilder Barratt Developments dropped 1 percent, Persimmon fell 1.4 percent and Taylor Wimpey shed 1.6 percent.
Global information services company Experian fell 1.7 percent. The company has agreed to acquire illion, a consumer and commercial credit bureaus in Australia and New Zealand, for a total consideration of up to A$820 million or US$532 million.
Oil & gas giant Shell was marginally higher after issuing its first quarter update.
AstraZeneca fell about 1 percent despite reporting positive results for its blockbuster cancer drug Imfinzi in a late-stage trial.
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