By Carla Mozee, MarketWatch

Potential monthly gain checked

U.K. stocks fell Monday, with mining shares again under pressure as iron-ore prices slumped, keeping the FTSE 100's potential gain for the month in check.

The FTSE 100 lost 0.4% to 6,352.13, with only a handful of shares able to advance. Among these, InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) rose 1.3% after a Telegraph newspaper report that three Chinese suitors have expressed interest in bidding for the Holiday Inn chain operator.

The blue-chip benchmark was moving toward a modest gain of 0.1% for November.

Miners have put pressure on the FTSE 100 throughout the month as prices for copper, gold and other metals fell to multi-year lows. Gold futures were on track Monday for their worst monthly performance since June 2013.

Iron-ore prices fell below $40 a tonne in Singapore trade overnight, according to reports.

Shares of iron ore heavyweight BHP Billiton PLC (BLT.LN) (BHP.AU) (BHP.AU) dropped 4.6%, languishing at their lowest level since November 2008. Rival Rio Tinto PLC (RIO)(RIO) (RIO) lost 1.4%.

BHP said it hasn't yet been formally notified of a civil lawsuit the Brazilian government plans to file (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/bhp-no-suit-yet-from-brazil-over-dam-spill-2015-11-30) against it, miner Vale SA (VALE5.BR) and the Samarco Mineracao SA joint venture with Vale. The lawsuit is expected to center on a massive dam break earlier this month, which a United Nations report said unleashed an avalanche of toxic mud (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/bhp-vale-jv-dam-break-unleashed-toxic-waste-un-2015-11-26).

Other miners were under pressure Monday, with copper producer Antofagasta PLC (ANTO.LN) down 2%, Glencore PLC (GLEN.LN) lower by 1.7%, and Anglo American PLC (AAL.LN) off 1.8%.

Elsewhere on the FTSE 100, Aberdeen Asset Management PLC (ADN.LN) fell 3.4% as the company reported (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/aberdeen-asset-profit-up-despite-tough-conditions-2015-11-30) a rise in full-year net profit during a tough conditions in Asian and emerging markets.

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 30, 2015 04:23 ET (09:23 GMT)