The FTSE 100 gained at the market opening on Friday, following a rally in the US prompted by better-than-expected jobs data. Bellway was among the early climbers after exceeding house building targets for the year ending in July and signalling growing confidence in the sector. Hargreaves Lansdown also saw a rise in share value after news that it had formally agreed to a takeover by private equity firms CVC, Nordic Capital, and Platinum Ivy.
In other developments, British Airways announced the cancellation of key flights between London and Beijing later this year due to a Russian airspace ban on Western operators. In the small-cap sector, Oncimmune, an immuno diagnostics developer, saw a significant surge in its share price after securing a $1.5 million contract with a top 10 global pharmaceutical company.