Weekly review
The FTSE 100 index finished down 188.53 points on the week at 6,649.39.
Equity view
Mike Ashley, owner of Newcastle United and Sports Direct, entered into a put option agreement relating to a 0.28% share in troubled supermarket Tesco.
Lloyds announced the successful sale of 57.m shares in TSB Banking Group at a price of 280p per share via a placing.
Slower-than-expected growth in its solutions division and challenging market conditions in its currency division forced Security documents designer and producer De La Rue to issue a profit warning.
Iron-ore miner BHP is considering reversing its decision not to list the upcoming spin-off of its aluminium, coal, manganese, nickel and silver assets in London.
Tesco’s former finance director, Laurie McIlwee will receive a £1m farewell payoff next week, despite
the latest scandal surrounding the retail giant.
Shares in semiconductor group CSR were given a lift on Thursday as the UK takeover panel extended the deadline for US suitor Microchip Technology to make its play. The previous deadline of 25 September has now been pushed back to 15 October.
Strong demand during the World Cup boosted the performance of pub and restaurant operator Mitchells & Butlers, which reported total sales growth for the 51 weeks of 3.8%.
Courier firm UK Mail forecast that first-half revenue would be lower than last year due to worse-than-expected second quarter parcel volumes, casting uncertainty over annual results and hitting its shares.
Shares in Citizens Financial moved higher in early trading on Wednesday, after the regional bank's initial public offer (IPO) by parent RBS had hitherto received a lukewarm reception.
Ladbrokes is pulling out of online gaming and sport betting operations in Canada, the bookmaker said on Wednesday.
Ed Miliband delivered his keynote speech on Tuesday at the Labour Party conference, revealing the party's intention to dramatically raise taxes on tobacco firms "who make huge profits off the back of ill health".
Industry watchdogs are to ban deals between price comparison websites and car insurers that stop insurers selling their products more cheaply elsewhere, as part of a drive to increase competition in the motor insurance market.
Water company United Utilities remained tight-lipped on negotiations with regulator Ofwat over its future price structure, but said underlying first-half profits were at a similar level to last year's.
Cruise operator Carnival pleased with its third quarter results, which showed strong customer demand and higher spending on-board its cruise ships.
Old Mutual has launched the initial public offering of its subsidiary, OM Asset Management, which is the holding company of its US-based institutional asset management business.
There was more bad news for Tesco on Tuesday as the latest data showed another drop in its sales and market share only a day after an accounting gaffe forced it to revise its profit forecasts.
Edinburgh-based Miller Homes is planning a flotation on the London Stock Exchange, the company said.
British luxury shoe brand Jimmy Choo announced plans to list its share on the London Stock Exchange.
As it struggles with an investigation into its financial processes, Tesco has wrangled an earlier start for new finance director Alan Stewart, persuading current employer Marks & Spencer (M&S) to release him two months earlier than planned.
Sweetener maker Tate & Lyle blamed severe US weather and the temporary shutdown of a plant in Singapore for higher costs and a profit warning, although it said sales of its flagship Splenda sucralose sweetener were ahead of last year.
Tesco has revised its forecast for profits for the six months ended 23 August, saying it had previously overestimated it by £250m.
International events
The chief executive of investment fund Pimco, Mohamed El-Erian, quit earlier this year after his young daughter told him he needed to spend more time with her, it emerged on Thursday.
Alibaba founder Jack Ma has become the richest man in China after the IT multinational's boost to its initial public offering (IPO) to a world record of $25bn.
The European Union's competition chief Joaquin Almunia has warned Google that it must improve its proposal to quell EU worries over its search practices or it could face antitrust charges.
Dutch consumer electronics giant Philips is breaking itself in two to save €300m over the next two years.
Tech giant Apple set a new record for sales in the weekend following a new product launch.
German multinational engineering and electronics conglomerate Siemens AG is set to complete the acquisition of US oilfield equipment producer Dresser-Rand Group.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a letter to EU officials warning it would cut Ukraine's access to Russian markets if the country decides to implement the trade pact signed last week.
US stocks slid on Thursday, sending the S&P 500 further into the red for the month of September, possibly as a result of the negative geopolitical newsflow, while investors continued to fret about the US Federal Reserve.
Economists believe the rumoured reshuffle at the top of China's central bank will not bring much of a change in policy, with Morgan Stanley on Wednesday calling for more easing than is currently planned.
Pharmaceutical companies Shire and AstraZeneca sold off sharply on Tuesday after the US Treasury announced a stricter crackdown against "tax inversion" deals than had been expected.
Goldman Sachs lowered its forecast for China growth on Wednesday after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it expected the world's second largest economy to expand faster in 2015 than previously thought.
In prepared remarks for his testimony on Monday before the European parliament (EP), European Central Bank (ECB) president Mario Draghi stated that the monetary authority is ready to take further action if deemed necessary.
Economic news
David Cameron and Ed Miliband took to the stands in the House of Commons on Friday morning, in an attempt to persuade parliament to support airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq.
London could be waving goodbye to a number of workers in the future, as the struggle to meet living costs in the British capital continues to rise.
British house prices stayed flat in September for the first time in 19 months, a survey out on Friday showed.
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has given another warning that an interest rate rise "is getting closer", although he said the timing would depend on economic data.
Rates will change depending on wage growth and productivity, the new Deputy Governor of the Bank of England (BoE), Minouche Shafik, said in an interview.
London is officially the world's most expensive city to live and work in with new figures showing it is almost twice as expensive as Sydney and four times as pricey as Rio de Janeiro.
An analyst at BNP Paribas has released a report emphasising lower UK growth forecasts, pushing back the expected interest rate hike until at least the first quarter of 2015.