LIVE: FTSE falls and US markets hover as focus turns to interest rates
How major markets are performing on Monday
The FTSE 100 and European markets lost steam on Monday in London following a week of gains, as fresh data suggested trouble for the UK's manufacturing sector and markets await several central bank meetings.
The FTSE (^FTSE) was down 0.8% by the close of the session. Meanwhile the CAC (^FCHI) fell 1.6% and Germany's DAX (^GDAXI) pulled back 1.2%.
The FTSE 250 (^FTMC), which tracks more domestically-linked stocks, fell 1.7%.
Key decisions are expected by the Bank of England, the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan later this week, as traders hold their breath to see how major economies will continue to fight the effects of inflation.
Meanwhile, fresh data shows that manufacturers have been stalling investment and cutting hiring plans due to the economic environment in Britain.
Read more: Bank of England should hike UK interest rates to 5.50%, says think tank
The majority of Britain's manufacturers think policy incentives in other major economies are making UK investments harder to justify, according to a new survey by industry body Make UK.
Of the companies surveyed, 72.7% said they felt measures such as the US Inflation Reduction Act and similar European measures had created a challenging investment environment.
More than half of companies have withheld investment in the last two years as a result of the uncertain business environment, despite having investment capital accessible, the survey found.
US indexes hovered the opening bell, after falling on Friday. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) was up 0.1% and the Dow (^DJI) and Nasdaq (^IXIC) were almost flat.
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Watch: UK economy declines by more than expected in July amid strike impact
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