Market overview: UK stocks set new record high

1630: Close The FTSE 100 finished the day up 14.35 points at a new closing high of 6,949.73, up 0.2% on the day and just 0.1 points ahead of the previous all-time closing high reached on Tuesday. Decent economic data from Europe - in-line GDP figures from the UK and Spain and a fall in unemployment in Germany - helped boost sentiment, along with developments in Ukraine after the defence ministry said that it was starting the withdrawal of heavy weapons in the east.

1605: The euro has hit the lowest level against dollar in 12 years, having lost 1.3% on Thursday. As of 16:05, it stood at $1.12.

1548: Gold futures rallied for a second consecutive session and are on track to close at their highest level in over a week. Growing demand in China and the imminent introduction of a quantitative easing programme by the European Central Bank have seen gold for April delivery rise 0.6% to $1,208.10 an ounce.

1344: US consumer prices fell 0.7% in January, its third consecutive decline, and inflation turned negative compared to the corresponding period in 2014, as a sharp decline in oil prices provided financial relief to workers and households. Meanwhile, real hourly wages, climbed 1.2% in January,thanks to higher pay and lower inflation. The index has gained 2.4% in the past 12 months.

1337: US initial jobless claims rose 31,000 to 313,000 last week, exceeding expectations for a reading of 290,000.

1107: StanChart has announced major changes to its Board, which together with the new CFO which came on board in may 2014 amount to a "major leadership renewal", the equity research team at Credit Suisse writes on Thursday. The changes will be well-received as they reflect a will to change the medium-term strategy, the broker writes. The group will require up to $11bn of capital to cover commodities provisioning and boost its capital cushions this year. If returns are not to take a hit then a "substantial" overhaul of strategy is required, analysts Carla Antunes da Silva, David Wong, Mohamed Souidi concluded.

1106: As any simple stock-screen would have thrown up at you Domino's Pizza continues to barrel along after several years of relatively poor share price performance. Today it has jumped past its record closing highs (to be confirmed at the close) at 702p. Its market capitalisation now stands at £1.13bn - that's a lot of dough indeed.

0956: Long-term immigration rose to 298,000 from 210,000 in the previous 12 months in the year ending September 2014. The figure remains below the peak of 320,000 registered in the year ending June 2005 during Tony Blair’s second term at Downing Street. The new data will come as a blow to David Cameron. Immigration is likely to be a key battleground in the general election and the Prime Minister has come under intense pressure from UKIP to tighten the grip on the number of foreign citizen entering the country. In January a poll found that only 7% of those intending to vote for the Conservatives wanted a drastic curb on immigration.

0930: UK GDP growth for the second quarter has been confirmed at 0.5% quarter-on-quarter.

0842: Stocks started the morning with a small dip but have since recovered. Standard Chartered is at the top of the leaderboard after announcing that its chief executive officer will be stepping down in June, removing one are of uncertainty. Acting as a backdrop, the move in German seven-year bond yields into negative territory is drawing attention, as is the increasingly dire situation of Ukraine’s external financing position. A raft of data is due out in Europe and the US, including the latest German unemployment figures. FTSE 100 up six points to 6,940.78.