2014.03.1204:43:16UTC+00U.K. stocks are slightly altered as Barclays balances output

U.K. stocks were slightly altered, after two days of pullbacks, as losses in Barclays Plc offset better-than-assumed factory-production information, and investors watched progress in Ukraine.

Barclays slide down to its weakest financial worth since December 2012. African Barrick Gold Corp. tumbled 19 percent after its majority shareholder merchandised a 10 percent stake. Aviva Plc rallied to its topmost financial value since September 2008 as RBC Capital Markets developed the insurer.

The FTSE 100 shrank 3.93 points, or 0.1 percent, to 6,685.52 at the close of exchanging in London. The equity-benchmark gauge slipped yesterday as Ukraine carried out military exercises and a report showed that China’s exports surprisingly decreased last month. The FTSE All-Share Index backed down less than 0.1 percent today, while Ireland’s ISEQ Index leaped 0.9 percent.

“It seems to be looking better for the U.K. economy but sometimes these data look a little irrelevant in the short term,” said Mike Franklin, chief investment strategist at Beaufort Securities Ltd. in London. “The uncertainty is pervading. It’d be difficult to ignore the situation in Ukraine so soon. With Barclays, some are thinking, oh no, not another issue with the banks.”

U.K. manufacturing output bolstered 0.4 percent in January from a month earlier, when it advanced a revised 0.4 percent, the Office for National Statistics said in London. The median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey was for 0.3 percent increase.

The European Union told Russia it must alter its position on Crimea by next week or face possible penalties. EU leaders will discuss sanctions on March 17 unless there are clear alterations in Russia’s movements, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said today in Estonia.

Addressing reporters in Russia, ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych warned of a possible civil war.

Barclays Retreats

Barclays sagged down 2.4 percent to 236.2 pence for its largest two-day decline in almost a month. Shares moved lower yesterday as the Financial Times named it among banks that will have to set aside a total of as much 10.6 billion euros ($14.7 billion) in additional costs and fines related to currency-manipulation probes. The report cited unidentified analysts.

Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, also recorded as one of the banks facing the costs, missed 3 percent to 310.2 pence today.

Separately, AIS Capital Management filed a class-action complaint versus banks including Barclays alleging conspiracy to control the financial value of gold, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing documents it has seen.

African Barrick Gold plummeted 19 percent to 250 pence, its largest pullback since January 2013. Toronto-based Barrick Gold Corp., which held 74 percent of African Barrick, sold 41 million shares for 275 pence each.

Morrison Declines

Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc backed down 1.2 percent to 230.8 pence. A gauge of European food and beverage retailers posted the second-largest drop of the 19 industry groups on the Stoxx Europe 600 Index.

Aviva recorded a 2.8 percent increase to 523.5 pence. RBC Capital boosted its rating on the stock to sector perform, similar to hold, from underperform, citing Chief Executive Officer Mark Wilson’s success in meeting targets and his drive to trim down costs. The broker bolstered its 12-month price calculation by 38 percent to 550 pence.

The volume of shares being traded in firms recorded on the FTSE 100 was 10 percent greater than the average of the past 30 days, according to data gathered by Bloomberg.