FTSE 100 set to snap 3week losing streak
British retail sales dip in May
Consumer confidence in the UK hits record low
FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 add 1.2 each

June 24 Reuters UK39;s FTSE 100 rose on Friday, lifted by defensive stocks at the end of a choppy week that saw investor anxiety over hawkish central banks, weak economic readings and heightened risks of a global recession.

The bluechip index climbed 1.2, with healthcare and consumer staples stocks that tend to decouple from economic cycles, rising the most. The domestically focussed FTSE 250 also rose 1.2.

The FTSE 100 was set to snap a threeweek run of losses, while the midcap index was on pace for its fourth consecutive weekly decline.

Data showed British retail sales volumes slid by 0.5 in May, showing that consumers cut back on shopping in the face of rapid inflation last month, and an increase in sales in April was revised down sharply.

A separate data showed consumer confidence in the UK hit a record low this month.

It is not just the rising bills of today that are worrying us, it is the prospect of even higher bills tomorrow, and fears of a looming recession, which might cause our finances to unravel entirely, Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Sarah Coles said.

Adding to worries, Boris Johnson39;s Conservatives lost two parliamentary seats on Friday, a crushing blow to the governing party that has intensified doubts about the future of Britain39;s prime minister.

Among stocks, Ultra Electronics gained…