Weekly review
The FTSE 100 closed the week higher by 60.29 points to 6,247.94.
Equity view
Vodafone shares were on the front foot after Liberty Global’s chief executive officer said on Thursday that there was no timeframe for talks between the two companies on swapping assets.
Oil service group Hunting swung to a pre-tax loss as the reduced activity in the oil and gas sector weighed heavily on revenue.
Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings has reportedly teamed up with private equity firm MBK Partners to bid for Tesco’s South Korean unit, Homeplus.
Aldermore Group saw profits almost double in the first six months of the year on the back of strong growth in loans to small and medium-sized enterprises and at its residential mortgage arm.
British infrastructure group John Laing saw its interim profit plunge on the back of currency headwinds and “lower fair value movement”.
Oil and gas services company Amec Foster Wheeler reported a 12% fall in first-half pre-tax profit amid challenging market conditions, as it said it continues to expect a reduction in trading margins.
US oilfield services giant Schlumberger announced it would pay a 37% premium to acquire oilfield equipment maker Cameron and strengthen its technological edge, defying range-bound commodity prices and recent volatility in global financial markets.
Igas Energy has appointed Julian Tedder as chief financial officer and board director of the company with effect from 28 September.
Antofagasta posted a large drop in first-half profit as revenue fell on the back of declining copper and by-product prices and shipment delays, yet its shares were the among those carried highest in Tuesday's market rebound.
Mining giant BHP Billiton reported a 52% drop in first-half underlying profit on the back of tumbling commodity prices and a slowdown in China, as it reiterated its pledge to cut costs.
Growth in British grocery markets continued to be sluggish, with all the “big four” chains losing market share, according to the latest figures published by Kantar Worldpanel for the 12 weeks ending 16 August.
Philip Bowcock has been named as the new William Hill’s chief financial officer, the gambling giant said on Monday.
UTV Media may sell its TV assets following a failed push into the Republic of Ireland.
Bunzl posted an 11% rise in first-half pre-tax profit as revenue grew and the distribution and outsourcing company made four acquisitions.
Zurich Insurance has reportedly asked its bid target RSA for more time to come up with a formal offer for the London-listed company after the two sides made progress on the prospective deal over the weekend.
Shares in internet media company Blinkx lost more than a third early on Monday after the company issued a profit warning.
Shares in San Leon Energy surged over 15% early on Monday, after the oil and gas explorer confirmed speculation over a potential takeover.
The UK government has cut its stake in Lloyds Banking Group to just under 13%, taking the bank another step closer to full privatisation.
Economic news
The volumes of UK supermarket sales in recent weeks fell for the first time since December, with Tesco, Sainsbury and Morrison all losing market share to discount stores.
Equity investors threw in the towel last Tuesday, a possible signal that the worst of the recent spate of selling was now over, according to strategists at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch.
Bolstered by rising house price inflation and improved employment prospects, UK consumers now believe the economic recovery is for real, according to the results of a widely followed survey.
The UK services sector grew in August, recording the biggest influx of work for business and professional services companies since 1998, a Confederation of British Industry (CBI) survey indicated on Friday.
House price growth in Britain cooled in August, according to the results of one of the most widely followed surveys, but the respite might only be temporary.
Finland's finance minister Alexander Stubb on Monday said that without Britain there is no European Union (EU).
Illegal migrants found working in England and Wales will face six months in jail and have their earnings seized as “proceeds of crime” under new measures announced by the government on Tuesday.
International events
The Federal Reserve should not postpone a first interest rate hike, despite the recent market turmoil, a Federal Reserve policymaker said on Friday.
Credit Suisse cut its targets for the S&P 500 and the Euro Stoxx 50 but said it remains constructive on European equities, which it maintained at ‘overweight’.
Moody’s has revised its forecast for gross domestic product growth in the G20 economies down to 2.8% in 2016, from 3.1%.
Recent volatility in global financial markets “complicates the picture” but it´s “too soon to say it fundamentally changes the picture” a top Fed official believes.
Financial markets were probably being too pessimistic on the short-term outlook for the Chinese economy but there were medium-term risks, one of the world´s largest ratings agencies said on Wednesday.
The People's Bank of China has cut interest rates for the fifth time since November in a bid to boost its slowing economy.
Goldman Sachs expects the S&P 500 to rise by 11% to reach 2,100 at year-end.
The Footsie was pummelled on Monday, registering a tenth consecutive session of losses, the longest such streak since January 2003, even as analysts pushed back their forecasts for Fed tightening. The selling was so intense in the futures markets before the open that the New York Stock Exchange invoked Rule 48 for the start of trading on Monday, which allows the NYSE to begin trading in stocks without providing indications.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Monday dismissed calls for a new EU summit on immigration, stressing that member states should instead just implement existing agreements on the matter.