The FTSE 100 edged up 0.1% on Friday, bucking weaker sentiment across Europe as the DAX slipped 0.1%, the CAC 40 fell 0.2% and the STOXX 600 dipped 0.1%.
In corporate news, Babcock International said chief executive David Lockwood will step down by the end of the year. He will be succeeded by Harry Holt, currently head of the company’s nuclear division.
Chair Ruth Carnie said Lockwood had been an exceptional chief executive and that he leaves the defence engineering group in a “very strong position for the future”.
Among blue-chip stocks, Metlen Energy & Metals led the FTSE 100 risers, up 1.5%, followed by BP with a 1.3% gain and Hiscox rising 1.1%. Burberry was the biggest faller, down 2.8%, while Babcock shares declined 2.5% and International Consolidated Airlines Group slipped 1.9%.
Economic data offered a mixed picture for UK consumers. Retail sales volumes rose 0.4% in December, outperforming expectations after declines of 0.1% in November and 0.8% in October.
The Office for National Statistics said sales fell 0.3% over the fourth quarter but increased 1.3% across 2025. Despite the annual rise, retail activity remains 1.5% below levels recorded in February 2020 before the Covid pandemic disrupted consumer spending.
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