1. FTSE 100 continues to march to record highs
Britain's premier share index finished on Thursday up around 69 points, or 0.89%, at 7,794.
2. FCA warns of thousands of homeowners defaulting on mortgages
A household is at risk of a shortfall if their mortgage payments make up more than 30% of their monthly household budget with the forecast based on the assumption that households will face a 10% dip in their incomes during the next two years as wages fail to keep pace with inflation.
3. Tesco's performance was sound but challenges lie ahead
The update was good given it was against multiple years of robust comparatives for Tesco, reflecting a generally clear plan and good execution across the board, analysts noted.
4. British Gas owner Centrica raises profit forecasts
In November, the gas group said it expected earnings to be at the top end of forecasts of 15.1p to 26p, with today's update implying at least a 15% uptick.
5. Lloyds is still a ‘buy’ with UBS
The UBS analysts noted that Lloyds' disclosed interest cover on 92% of its CRE exposures was over 2 times and although this is likely to have fallen. They see the bank's CRE exposure as well covered by customer profits and collateral.