European stocks edged lower, but stayed near a record high, ahead of earnings from chipmaker Nvidia Corp. and the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve’s most recent meeting due later Wednesday. The UK’s FTSE 100 lagged behind after disappointing earnings from heavyweights.
The Stoxx Europe 600 slipped 0.2% at the close in London, led by declines in health care and banking stocks. Among individual movers, HSBC Holdings Plc slumped the most in nearly four years as it reported an 80% drop in fourth-quarter profit after taking unexpected charges, while commodities giant Glencore Plc fell as it reported a steep drop in earnings. The two companies were among the biggest decliners on the UK benchmark, which was 0.8% lower.
