Britain's FTSE ends lower as commodities stocks slip

(ADVISORY - Reuters plans to replace intra-day European and UK stock market reports with a Live Markets blog on Eikon - see cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets for site in development. See the bottom of the report for more details)

* Blue (OTC BB: BUES - news) -chip FTSE 100 index closes 0.3 pct lower

* Mining, energy stocks track commodity prices

* Royal Mail (LSE: RMG.L - news) shares rise on upgrade

* Goldman downgrade hits Sports Direct

By Kit Rees

LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) - Britain's top share index ended lower on Monday, with a drop in the prices of crude oil and industrial metals putting pressure on commodities-related stocks.

The UK energy index dropped 1.2 percent as the oil price fell for a fourth consecutive session after Iran insisted it would not freeze crude output, returning investor attention to a global glut. Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) in BP and Royal Dutch Shell (LSE: RDSB.L - news) were down more than 1 percent.

The mining index also came under pressure, edging down 0.3 percent, after copper slipped towards a three-month low as expectations that the U.S (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) . Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in June reinforced worries about weak demand growth in top consumer China. BHP Billiton (NYSE: BBL - news) fell 0.8 percent.

"The two sectors could face further selling pressure in the near term as sentiment towards commodities prices remains fragile," Securequity senior trader, Jawaid Afsar, said.

"There are numerous headwinds such as a stronger dollar and lingering concerns about the pace of economic growth in China, Europe and the United States," he said.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index closed 0.3 percent lower at 6,136.43 points. Losses were mitigated by a 4.3-percent gain in Royal Mail shares after upgrades from brokers Cantor Fitzgerald and RBC Capital Markets.

"We expect parcels in the UK and Europe to drive the top-line and restructuring and productivity gains to support the bottom-line," Cantor Fitzgerald analysts said in a note.

"(Royal Mail) faces potentially tough wage and pension negotiations this year but the risks are probably overstated," they said.

Among mid-caps, sports retailer Sports Direct dropped 4 percent after Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS-PB - news) downgraded the stock to "neutral" from "buy".

"The UK high street is changing - we're seeing quite an uptick in online shopping," Charles Hanover Investments advisory investment manager, Jonathan Roy, said.

"The retail space that (Sports Direct is) occupying is becoming a bit of a burden and that's a trend that we expect to see follow through for the rest of 2016 and beyond."

ADVISORY - Reuters plans to replace intra-day European and UK stock market reports with a Live Markets blog on Eikon (see cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets for site in development). In a real-time, multimedia format from 0600 London time through the 1630 closing bell, it will include the best of our market reporting, Stocks Buzz service, Eikon graphics, Reuters pictures, eye-catching research and market zeitgeist. Breaking news and dramatic market moves will continue to be alerted to all clients and we will continue to provide a short opening story and comprehensive closing reports.

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Mike Dolan, Markets Editor EMEA. (Additional reporting by Atul Prakash; Editing by Louise Ireland (Other OTC: IRLD - news) and Hugh Lawson)