British stocks closed lower on Wednesday, with the benchmark FTSE 100 Index down by 0.05 percent, or 3.30 points, to close at 7,271.95 points.

Babcock International Group, a British support services company, soared 5.81 percent, the top gainer of the blue chips. Kingfisher also spiked by 5.60 percent, and ITV was up 2.79 percent.

The British multinational alcoholic beverages company Diageo was the worst performer in the blue chips, with its shares dropping 2.78 percent. International Consolidated Airlines Group, the multinational airline holding company, decreased 1.65 percent, and Barclays, a major British bank, fell 1.27 percent.