London stocks slip as investors parse earnings mixed bag

April 29 (Reuters) - UK shares ‌drifted lower ​on ​Wednesday as traders digested mixed earnings, before turning their attention to global central bank policy decisions, including the ‌Bank of England.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index dipped 0.7% ⁠by 0950 GMT, slipping for the seventh time in eight sessions. The ‌midcap FTSE 250 eased 0.1%.

• ‌AstraZeneca and GSK fell 1.4% and 2.1%, respectively, after both drugmakers stuck to their full-year forecasts despite posting better-than-expected quarterly ​profit.

• Lloyds Banking Group dipped 1.4% despite reporting a better-than-expected rise in first-quarter profit.

• Earnings season is in full ⁠swing with investors cautious of any impact stemming from the Iran war.

• Efforts to ​end the Iran war were at an impasse with U.S. President Donald Trump unhappy with the latest ​proposal from Tehran as he wants ‌nuclear issues dealt with from the outset.

• The war stalemate gives way to a Federal Reserve meeting ⁠later on Wednesday, followed by results from megacaps Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon, which could set the tone for markets.

• With geopolitical uncertainty ⁠still high, the BoE is set to keep interest rates unchanged on ​Thursday.

• Tentative hopes of a resolution to the U.S.-Iran war have helped steady the FTSE 100, putting it on track for a marginal April ‌gain after the conflict drove its worst monthly slump in six years.

• Among other moves, DCC ‌surged 16% after the sales and marketing services provider said it ⁠was reviewing a cash takeover ‌proposal from a ​consortium comprising U.S. investment firms Energy Capital Partners and KKR.

(Reporting by Medha Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by ‌Vijay Kishore)

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