Weekly review
The FTSE 100 ended the week up 59.45 points at 5,902.12.
Equity view
James Fisher and Sons said its specialist technical business had won a multi-million-pound five-year Royal Navy contract to service life-support diving equipment.
IAG said investors took up all the shares in its €2.74bn (£2.5bn) rights issue after demand for additional shares exceeded supply.
Energean said it had agreed to buy a field support vessel (FSV) from Prime Marine Energy for $33.25m.
AstraZeneca announced on Friday that ‘Farxiga’ or dapagliflozin, has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for patients with chronic kidney disease, with and without type-2 diabetes.
Former Rolls-Royce boss John Rishton has been appointed chair of government contractor Serco, the company said on Thursday.
Medical technology company Smith & Nephew updated the market on its recent trading on Thursday, reporting that it expects a third quarter underlying revenue decline of around 4%.
Kingfisher has completed the sale of Castorama Russia to local home improvement chain Maxidom, it confirmed on Thursday, for a total consideration of RUB 7.4bn (£73m).
Mailbox has set out its plans to become the first single-asset real estate investment trust listed on the new International Property Securities Exchange.
UK defence electronics and countermeasures specialist Chemring's US subsidiary, CCM, has secured a $49.9m five-year so-called indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract from the US Navy for MJU-32/38 infrared decoy flares.
Online fashion retailer Boohoo appeared to successfully navigate the media furore over the allegedly substandard working conditions at one of its suppliers, posting sharp increases in sales and profits for the half.
William Hill said it had agreed to be taken over by Caesars Entertainment in a £2.9bn deal that would see the enlarged group cash in on the rapidly expanding US sports betting market.
Online gambling company 888 Holdings raised its full year guidance and declared a special dividend as first-half profits more than doubled on the back of higher casino revenues and customer growth.
Analysts at Standard & Poor's downgraded their view on Cineworld's long-term debt, warning of the risk significantly lower than expected cinema admissions over coming months could lead to a rapid worsening of its liquidity position.
Plumbing and heating products distributor Ferguson posted a small decline in full-year profit and revenue on Tuesday as its UK business was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, but said it was reinstating its dividend after better-than-expected recent trading and announced the appointment of a new chief financial officer.
Discount retailer B&M European Value Retail said on Tuesday that first-half group adjusted earnings are set to be above its previously-guided range following strong sales.
Grainger said it had continued to perform “well” with its residential lettings ahead of its financial year-end on Tuesday, with rental growth “strong” at 3% for the 11 months to the end of August.
Diageo said it made a good start to the current financial year as the drinks company's US business beat expectations.
The sale of Imperial Brands' worldwide premium cigars business has been delayed due to the Covid-19 crisis.
Daily Mirror owner Reach said first-half profits more than halved although third quarter digital advertising had shown a strong recovery.
Franco Manco owner Fulham Shore delayed the publication of its full-year results again on Monday due to the Covid-19 crisis but said it expects to report revenue growth and that the imposition of a 10pm curfew is unlikely to have an impact.
Economic news
The pound spiked on Friday on news that UK prime minister Boris Johnson would speak with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday to “take stock” of negotiations and “discuss next steps” on a Brexit trade agreement.
Manufacturing sector activity in the UK slowed by a bit more than anticipated last month, but output was now very close to the levels seen at the start of 2020, although that might not last for too long.
The UK government has implemented a new standard for biodegradable plastics to simplify their classification.
More than a third of UK employers are planning on making staff redundant over the next three months, a YouGov poll revealed on Thursday.
The UK economy suffered a record slump in the second quarter of this year as it felt the full force of Covid-19 lockdown measures which constrained spending, official data revealed on Wednesday.
Annual house price growth surged in September to the highest rate in four years, as the UK property market continued to boom post lockdown.
Mortgage approvals soared to a near 13-year high in August, official data showed on Tuesday, as the stamp duty holiday helped further boost pent-up demand.
A top Bank of England official said he believed that 0.1% was likely to prove the floor for the price of money in the UK.
High street landlords seek out new tenants as the second wave of Covid-19 threatens to shut down retailers once again.
Covid-19 could cause higher bank losses on unsecured debt than on mortgages with implications for financial stability, the Bank of England said.
International events
US lawmakers failed to agree on the terms of a fourth stimulus package overnight.
The European Central Bank should prepare to issue a digital euro to complement banknotes “if and when” it becomes necessary, said Fabio Panetta, a board member on Friday.
Euro area manufacturing sector activity sped up last month with a resurgence in exports supporting higher levels of output and new orders - albeit mainly in Germany.
Personal incomes fell more sharply than expected last month as enhanced unemployment benefits ran their course.
The Chinese economy may be growing a bit more quickly than expected in the third quarter, a batch of closely-followed surveys for the Asian giant's manufacturing and services sector revealed, although their findings were a bit mixed.
Hiring in the US grew more quickly than anticipated in September, leading some economists to bump up their forecasts ahead of the monthly non-farm payrolls report that was scheduled for release on the following Friday.
Tesla boss Elon Musk doubled down on the firm's promise to let retail investors in on the initial public offering of its space-based internet business, Starlink.
Economic sentiment within the single currency bloc picked up last month, with confidence improving across all sectors of the economy, especially in services.
Profits in China's industrial sector rose for the fourth month running in August as factories continued to recover from the Covid-19 shutdown.
The pound rose against both the euro and dollar on Monday morning as the final round of Brexit trade negotiations geared up in Brussels.