The FTSE 100 ground out a ‘flat’ close to a rather ordinary Wednesday, ending the session at 6,344.
Early on there were signs of promise as upbeat company news lifted spirits, though the apparent positivity didn’t really see the market ‘take off’.
Chip-maker ARM Holdings (LON:ARM) led the FTSE 100 Index higher with a 69p gain to 1032p as third quarter profit rose 27% to 372.7mln.
The group, which supplies Apple, said its new ARMv8-A based chips were now shipping in smartphones, business equipment such as base stations and servers, and consumer electronics such as digital TVs.
Chief executive Simon Segars said: "ARM enters the final quarter of 2015 with strong royalty momentum, as indicated by industry and customer data, and a healthy licensing pipeline."
Satellite broadcaster Sky (LON:SKY) ticked up 38p to 1107p after operating profit rose 10% to £375mln on a 6% increase in group revenue to £2.8bn in the three months to September 30.
Analysts said the results were good but noted the increasing broadband and TV challenge being posed by Sky's arch-rival BT (LON:BT.).
Investec said: "We remain at 'reduce' given increasing competition with cost pressures a drag."
But Argos and Homebase owner Home Retail (LON:HOME) headed up the FTSE 250 fallers after profits at Argos almost halved in the six months to August 29.
Shares dropped 25.8p or 17.2% to 123.9p as it forecasted annual profits at the low end of hopes after tough electrical trading and a wet August.
A weak oil price – not for the first time – was something of a drain on the natural resource heavy bourse.
At the same time traders also had to shrug off disappointing Japanese news, with the value of the country's exports declining for the third consecutive month in September and by 1.7% month-on-month.
Back in the UK, public finances improved in September, but economists warned that Chancellor George Osborne would struggle to hit 2015/16 targets.
Howard Archer at IHS Global Insight said Osborne would overshoot the £69.5bn target in his July budget by £8bn if first half trends continued.
Education publisher Pearson (LON:PSON) backtracked 187p or 15.7% to 1001p as it slashed earnings expectations on weaker US college enrolments.
Nurofen and Strepsils maker Reckitt Benckiser was 121p healthier at 6265p as the group raised its full year LFL revenue target to 5%.
South African platinum miner Lonmin (LON:LMI) unveiled a US$400mln rights issue but said annual platinum sales topped hopes, lifting its shares by 2.25p to 31.25p.
Ortac Resources (LON:OTC) subsided 21.4% to 0.06p on news that it raised £400,000 through a placing to fund its development projects in Zambia and Eritrea.
Shares in UK Oil & Gas Investments (LON:UKOG) leaked 0.05p to 1.22p after it said it expects to conduct a flow test in the next few months at the Horse Hill project near Gatwick Airport.
Metminco (LON:MNC) shares soared by nearly a quarter to 0.28p as it hired an advisor to help it choose a partner to develop the Los Calatos copper mine, in southern Peru.