Weekly review
The FTSE 100 ended the week up 103.61 points at 7,368.17.
Equity view
High performance components and sub-systems company Meggitt has secured a long-term agreement with Solar Turbines, it announced on Friday.
Indivior has filed a new drug submission (NDS) with Health Canada's Therapeutic Drugs Directorate, it announced on Friday, for its ‘SUBLOCADE’ (buprenorphine extended-release) injection, for subcutaneous use for the treatment of moderate-to-severe opioid use disorder (OUD), as part of a complete treatment plan to include counseling and psychosocial support.
Marshalls announced its intention to appoint Vanda Murray OBE to its board as a non-executive director and chair on Friday.
Royal Mail said on Friday that its chief executive officer Moya Greene will retire in September after more than eight years in the role.
Broadcaster Sky, which is currently the subject of a bidding war, posted a 5% jump in nine-month like-for-like revenues on Thursday as core earnings rose 14%, and the company said it remains on track for the full year.
Pest control group Rentokil Initial’s underlying revenue growth slowed in the first quarter because of the impact of the hurricane in Puerto Rico and cold weather in the US that delayed the emergence of spring pests.
The UK’s Serious Fraud Office has opened a criminal investigation into suspected corruption in the conduct of Ultra Electronics’ business in Algeria.
AstraZeneca announced on Thursday that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved Tagrisso (osimertinib) for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, whose tumours have epidermal growth factor receptor mutations as detected by an FDA-approved test.
Distribution and outsourcing group Bunzl posted a jump in first-quarter revenue on Wednesday as it announced the completion of acquisitions in the US and the Netherlands last month.
Mediclinic International said it expects profits for the year to be marginally ahead of expectations, thanks to a "significant" second half improvement in its Middle East and Southern Africa hospitals.
Bodycote has signed a 15-year contract with Rolls-Royce's civil aerospace business that is expected to be worth more than £160m in incremental revenues.
BT Group announced on Wednesday that it would bring together its enterprise businesses in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, in a bid to accelerate its transformation, simplify its operating model and strengthen accountabilities.
Tate & Lyle has appointed Mondelez's Imran Nawaz as its new chief financial officer, with effect from 1 August.
Specialist emerging markets asset manager Ashmore Group updated the market on its assets under management for its third quarter ended 31 March on Tuesday, reporting that assets under management increased $7bn during the period, with net inflows of $6.4bn and positive investment performance of $0.6bn.
JD Sports posted a 24% jump in full-year profit on Tuesday as sales grew and the company's international expansion paid off.
Tullow Oil announced the appointment of Dorothy Thompson as an independent non-executive director and chair-designate of the company on Tuesday, with effect from the conclusion of its annual general meeting on 25 April.
Specialty chemicals group Johnson Matthey announced the appointment of Patrick Thomas as chairman on Monday, succeeding Tim Stevenson.
Listed infrastructure investor HICL Infrastructure Company announced an investment in the biology, pharmacy and chemistry department of the Paris-Sud University PPP Project on Monday.
Polymetal International has reached an agreement with the Russian Copper Company for an all-share exchange of its Tarutin property in Russia, for 85% of RCC's East Tarutin property in Kazakhstan.
Man Group began its share repurchase programme in earnest on Monday, confirming it was seeking to bring back up to $100m of its own stock for future employee incentives, or cancellation.
Economic news
European Union officials are set to reject a solution proposed by the UK to solve the Irish border problem post-Brexit.
In a new move to fight plastic pollution, the UK government has promised to place a ban on plastic drinking straws and cotton buds later in the year.
An interest rate rise is "likely" in 2018 but any tightening will be gradual, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney told the BBC, highlighting the shortfall seen in investment versus what might have been expected were it not for Brexit.
Retail sales fell more than expected in March as consumers stayed away from shops amid snow and sub-zero temperatures swept in by the so-called Beast from the East.
The UK is at risk of losing alignment with the EU’s European Medicines Agency after Brexit, meaning it could lose the ability to evaluate, regulate and monitor new drugs as well as potentially being stripped of access to new revolutionary treatments for British patients.
Many casual dining brands saw significant growth on the high street last year despite recent high-profile closures and concerns that market saturation and other factors could damage the industry.
One-in-three millennials will never own a home, according to a report from the Resolution Foundation, that has found that Britain's youth could continue to live in rented accommodations for the rest of their lives.
London has dropped out of the top ten most expensive business travel locations in the world as Geneva, once again, takes pole position as the priciest European destination for work-related tourism for a fourth consecutive year.
Prime Minister Theresa May will have to face criticism from parliament on Monday after deciding on Friday evening to intervene in Syria by launching coordinated airstrikes with the US and France without having Commons approval.
Sterling strength had further to run, Rabobank strategists said on Monday, but the loss of economic momentum in the British economy that was seen over the first quarter of the year and the prospect of tough Brexit talks, meant that the pound's path higher was not to be free of hurdles.
International events
In the draft of their World Development Report for 2019, World Bank group has proposed reducing minimum wages and granting employers more power to hire and fire as part of new measures to deregulate the labour market and fight against increased automation.
The European Union will propose a "miniature, simplified" version of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership to the US administration in a bid to end trade hostilities and in order to avoid US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.
The euro area's current account surplus slipped last month amid declines in goods exports and the bloc's primary income receipts.
The number of new people filing for unemployment benefits in the US was little changed last week, holding near the lowest levels seen for several decades.
European Union member states have begun to show increasing support for Britain, France and Germany's proposed new sanctions on Iran as part of an effort to dissuade the White House from pulling out of the Obama administration's landmark 2015 nuclear deal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is looking to dial down tensions with the US after Washington imposed sanctions on United Co.Rusal two weeks ago, in response to the Moscow's "malign activity" in multiple regions, and the launch of airstrikes last week against the chemicals weapon programme of Russian ally Bashar al Assad.
President Trump has reportedly declined to sign-off on proposed additional sanctions against Russia for the Kremlin’s support of Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian regime, contradicting the US ambassador to the UN.
US housing starts rose more than expected in March, according to data released by the Commerce Department on Tuesday.
Credit Suisse has raised its 2018 oil price forecasts, predicting that those higher prices would hold during the following year even as OPEC barrels returned to the market.
Business conditions in the New York region deteriorated more than expected in April, according to a survey from the New York Fed.