FTSE drops for 5th straight day after slew of profit alerts
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* FTSE 100 down 0.2%, FTSE 250 flat
* Pearson tanks after profit warning
* Imperial Brands falls after forecast cut, drags BAT
* IAG down after saying pilot strikes to hit profit
Sept 26 (Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 fell for the fifth straight session on Thursday as profit warnings from tobacco firm Imperial Brands, British Airways owner IAG and education company Pearson weighed down the blue-chip index.
The FTSE 100 gave up 0.2%, as Imperial and BAT shed 9% and 3% respectively, after the blu e-cigarette maker cut annual sales and profit view.
Pearson slid over 13% after saying full-year profit would be at the bottom of its guided range, while IAG also dipped 2% after blaming pilot strikes for an expected 215 million euros shortfall in annual profit.
The mid-cap FTSE 250 was roughly flat by 0713 GMT. (Reporting by Shashwat Awasthi in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra)