For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock markets, click LIVE/ or type LIVE/ in a news window

Updated at 1550 GMT

By Lisa Pauline Mattackal and Shubham Batra

Sept 25 (Reuters) -The UK's main stock indexes ended Wednesday on a downbeat note, hurt by energy shares tracking lower oil prices, while miners kept the losses in check as gold soared to a record high on expectations of another big rate cut by the U.S. central bank.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 .FTSE was down 0.2%, while the midcap FTSE 250 .FTMC edged 0.1% lower. The benchmark index got it biggest boost on Tuesday after China released a raft of stimulus measures.

However, the optimism faded as market watchers questioned whether the scope of proposed measures was sufficient to fix deep-rooted issues in China and spark a sustained resurgence in consumer and industrial demand.

Even China's central bank reducing its medium-term loan rate on Wednesday did little to lift sentiment again.

"Monetary policy remains unlikely to move the needle on Chinese growth... The Chinese economy needs fiscal stimulus and monetary policy alone isn't sufficient to revive domestic demand," analysts at BCA Research said in a note.

The biggest sector hurt by this sentiment was oil and gas .FTNMX601010, which slid 1.8%, but the pullback in UK equities was driven by the beverage sector's .FTNMX451010 near 1.7% drop.

The banking .FTNMX301010 and life insurance sectors .FTNMX303010 lost about 1.2% and 1.5%, respectively.

However, industrial miners .FTNMX551020 and precious metal miners .FTNMX551030 built on gains from the previous session, rising 0.8% and 3%, respectively, as prices of copper and gold continued to rise.

Among other movers, real estate portal Rightmove RMV.L lost 1.6% after rejecting a sweetened $8.1 billion takeover proposal from Australia's REA Group REA.AX, saying the increased bid was still "unattractive".

Retailer DFS Furniture DFSD.L dipped earlier in the session after posting a 65.7% slump in annual profit but the shares reversed course and ended the session with a 6.6% jump.

Reporting by Lisa Mattackal and Shubham Batra in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Gareth Jones

 For related prices, Reuters users may click on - * UK stock report .L FTSE index: 0#.FTS6 techMARK 100 index: .FTT1X FTSE futures: 0#FFI: Gilt futures: 0#FLG: Smallcap index: .FTSC FTSE 250 index: .FTMC FTSE 350 index: .FTLC Market digest: .AD.L Top 10 by vol: .AV.L Top price gainers: .NG.L Top % gainers: .PG.L Top price losers: .NL.L Top % losers: .PL.L * For related news, click on - * UK hot stocks: HOT and GB Wall Street: .N Gilts report: GB/ Euro bond report GVD/EUR Pan European stock report: .EU Tokyo stocks: .T HK stocks: .HK Sterling report: GBP/ Dollar report: USD/ * For company prices, click on - * Company directory: UKEQ By sector: FTAX * For pan-European market data, click on - * European Equities speed guide................ EUR/EQUITY FTSE Eurotop 300 index........................... .FTEU3 DJ STOXX index................................... .STOXX Top 10 STOXX sectors........................ .PGL.STOXXS Top 10 EUROSTOXX sectors................... .PGL.STOXXES Top 10 Eurotop 300 sectors.................. .PGL.FTEU3S Top 25 European pct gainers.................... .PG.PEUR Top 25 European pct losers..................... .PL.PEUR