The FTSE 100 opened in the red on a thin Friday for company news.
Among the day’s early risers was Informa, which hiked its dividend after exceeding market expectations with strong underlying profit for the year.
Mike Ashley’s Frasers fell in the meantime, after confirming luxury retailer Matches Fashion, which it bought in December, had been put into administration.
Elsewhere, Currys firmed up the sale of its Greek and Cypriot business to Public Power Corporation for around £156 million.
Wealth manager Mattioli Woods dealt the latest blow to the London Stock Exchange with news it was going private through a £432 million deal with Pollen Street Capital.
And in the States, Boeing faced a new bout of regulatory scrutiny after a tire fell from one of its United Airlines-operated 777s upon takeoff at San Francisco.