The FTSE 100 rallied at the open as the market continued unphased by Thursday’s news that the UK had slipped into recession.
Fuelling the gains on Friday was further ONS data, which showed retail sales had climbed by 3.4% from December to January, in the largest monthly jump since early 2021.
Among companies, NatWest revealed Paul Thwaite would permanently take charge as chief executive as the lender posted its largest annual pre-tax profit since 2008 of £6.2 billion.
Virgin Media O2’s report was less positive though, as the telecoms giant unveiled a £3.3 billion loss for 2023 on the back of soaring interest on its debt over the year.
And finally, Segro climbed on Friday morning as the FTSE 100-listed landlord posted a 6% jump in pre-tax profit to £409 million for the year.