FTSE 100 inches up 0.20% on ECB's stimulus hope

FTSE 100 Index, British benchmark stock market gauge, Friday inched up slightly by 0.20 percent, or 13.95 points, to 6,819.75 points, as slower inflation growth in euro zone increase probability of European central bank's stimulus action.
Consumer prices in euro zone rose 0.3 percent in August from a year earlier after a 0.4 percent increase in July, said the European Union's statistics office. The latest data increased pressure on the European Central Bank (ECB) to take action to tackle the de-inflation in the area and bolster the dismal economic recovery.
Unemployment rate in the euro zone in July remained near a record high at 11.5 percent, data showed by a separate report on the same day.
Tesco, the British biggest supermarket chain company, announced that it has cut the interim dividend by 75 percent, reduced capital spending plans by 16 percent and lowered the projected profit this year to no more than 2.5 billion pounds (around 4.2 billion U.S. dollars).
The unexpected move put significant downward pressure to Tesco's share price, dragging down the whole sector's performance.
Silver miner Fresnillo's share price increased by 2.29 percent, topping the gainers of the blue chips. AstraZeneca, RSA Insurance Group, St James's Place and Randgold Resources increased by 1.95 percent, 1.91 percent, 1.85 percent and 1.60 percent respectively.
Tesco led the top losers of the blue chips with a share price drop of 6.64 percent, followed by other supermarket chain companies such as WM Morrison Supermarkets (5.03 percent), J Sainsbury (4.35 percent), Marks & Spencer Group (1.87 percent).
Trading in FTSE 100 companies was around 28 percent above the 30-day average for this time of day. The index has gained 3.85 percent so far this year when adjusted in U.S. dollar.