Weekly review

London's FTSE 100 finished the week 19.72 points higher at 7,346.53.

Equity view

Ebay has agreed to sell its ticketing business, StubHub, to rival Viagogo for $4.05bn (£3.15bn) in cash.

A Mitsubishi-led consortium has beaten Royal Dutch Shell to secure renewable energy specialist Eneco in a €4.1bn deal.

Luxury goods company LVMH, which owns brands such a Christian Dior and Givenchy, has agreed to buy US jeweller Tiffany in a $16.2bn deal.

US brokerage firm Charles Schwab has agreed to buy rival TD Ameritrade in an all-share deal valued at around $26bn.

Uber has been stripped of its licence to operate in London over persistent safety concerns, in a significant blow to the taxi hailing app.

Aerospace and defence giant Rolls-Royce said on Tuesday that it has secured a five-year defence services contract worth $1.2bn.

Compass Group reported a drop in full-year profit as it warned that European volumes have fallen amid "hesitation" in the region.

Deere & Company reported a slide in fourth-quarter income and slashed its forecasts on Wednesday, hurt by poor weather in America’s farming heartland and Washington’s ongoing spate with Beijing.

Pub group Marston’s posted a drop in full-year profit as it wrote down the value of some of its properties.

Britvic reported a decline in full-year profit as challenging conditions in France and Ireland offset growth in the UK.

Virgin Money, formerly CYBG, suspended its dividend on Thursday as it reported a widened annual loss on the back of higher costs and payment protection insurance (PPI) claims.

Tata Steel Europe has started discussions over plans to axe up to 3,000 European jobs, including around 1,000 in the UK.

Payment services company PayPoint posted a decline in first-half profit on the back of increased costs, but revenue rose.

Marine services company James Fisher said it expected full year profits to be “modestly below” expectations but ahead of last year's £56.1m.

Royal Mail on Friday confirmed the Court of Appeal had upheld a High Court injunction blocking Christmas strikes over job security and employment terms.

Mercedes Benz owner Daimler will cut at least 10,000 jobs worldwide by 2022 as it looks to fund a drive towards further electric vehicle production.

Investec said it would complete the demerger of its asset management arm by 13 March, rename it Ninety One and sell 10% of shares in the new unit.

Ocado signed a partnership with Japanese retailer Aeon to develop its online grocery business using the Ocado Smart Platform (OSP).

Economic news

The decline on the UK high street eased in November, halting a six-month trend and building expectations for the key festive period, a survey showed on Monday.

Issuers of speculative mini-bonds can no longer advertise the controversial investments directly to consumers, the City watchdog has announced.

Mortgage approvals fell to a seven-month low in October, as political uncertainty dented the UK housing market.

US private equity firm Silver Lake is to acquire a minority stake in City Football Group, the owner of Premier League champions Manchester City, in a $500.0m deal.

The latest report from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders urged Westminster to deliver an ambitious Brexit deal, warning that tariffs could decimate UK car production.

UK car production fell by 4% in October amid declines in consumer and business confidence, according to data released on Thursday by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

House prices grew more than expected in November, hitting a seven-month high but remaining "subdued", according to the latest survey from Nationwide.

Members of the music industry have called on the Competition and Markets Authority to regulate Viagogo’s takeover of StubHub as they claim it will create a monopoly in UK ticket sales.

Consumer confidence in the UK remained subdued in November, according to the latest survey from GfK, amid uncertainty over Brexit and ahead of the general election.

International events

Pro-democracy candidates won a landslide victory in Hong Kong after citizens voted in local elections on Sunday.

German business confidence improved a little in November, according to a widely-followed survey released on Monday.

China and the US are "very close" to a key trade deal, according to state-controlled media in Beijing.

America's trade deficit in goods with the rest of the world narrowed sharply during the preceding month, but only because of a big drop in purchases from overseas.

Washington and Beijing have reportedly reached a ‘consensus’ on trade talks, spurring hopes that a deal could be imminent.

China’s industrial profits fell at the steepest rate in eight months in October, data released overnight showed, undermined by Beijing’s increasingly bitter trade war with Washington.

China is considering putting certain US legislators on a no-entry list after US President Donald Trump signed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act into law, according to a well-placed source.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday that it was opposed to the US government's signing of a bill supporting Hong Kong protesters' rights into law and accused the Trump administration of having "sinister intentions".

Eurozone inflation rose more than expected in November, while the unemployment rate ticked lower in October, hitting an 11-year low.

German retail sales slumped in October, missing expectations, according to figures released by Destatis on Friday.