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UK stocks opened lower on Tuesday, extending heavy losses on Friday and Monday, as the pound strengthened and investors digested a slew of local corporate earnings results.
At 0857, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 29.21 points, or 0.4%, at 7.194.64.
Engineering bellwether Rolls-Royce shed 1.3% after it booked a first-half loss, owing to restructuring charges, financing expenses and costs associated with fixing blade problems in its Trent 1000 engines.
The company, however, stuck to its guidance for the full year of achieving an underlying profit and free cash flow of £700m, plus or minus £100m.
Sirius Minerals tumbled 26% on announcing that it had decided to suspend a proposed $500m corporate bond offer 'due to current market conditions'.
The offer of senior secured notes was part of a funding drive to underpin the development of the company's flagship fertilizer project in Yorkshire.
Domino's Pizza rose 2.1%, despite a weaker international performance sending its first-half profit south. The pizza chain also announced the departure of chief executive David Wild.
Hotel giant InterContinental Hotels shed 2.8%, despite posting a rise in first-half profit, as investors focused on a weaker revenue-per-room performance.
Industrial flow-control equipment manufacturer Rotork rallied 7.8%, even as it booked a 4.5% fall in first-half profit on lower sales. The company also forecast flat sales for the full year, implying an improved performance in the second half.
Specialist engineering for the defence, aerospace and energy sectors Meggitt advanced 4.4%, as it upped its revenue growth guidance for the full year amid a modest rise in first-half adjust profits.
Plastics producer Synthomer gained 3.2%, despite booked a 34% fall in first-half profit owing to weaker economic conditions hurting sales.
Lower sales were weighted to the first quarter and the company said its performance had improved in the second quarter.
Oil company Cairn Energy added 0.7%, having sold a 10% stake in the Nova development offshore Norway.
Inter-dealer broker TP ICAP fell 1.4% as its first-half underlying profit weakened, amid a fall in global broking revenue.
Cosmetics group Warpaint London sank 27% after it issued a profit warning, blaming adverse currency movements and increased spending on its US business.
Luxury furniture retailer Walker Greenbank shed 3.1%, as it reported a 0.7% fall in first-half revenue on a constant currency basis, while citing challenging trading conditions.