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The FTSE 100 closed yet another turbulent week above the 7,000 mark but broadly flat on the day despite US stocks starting Friday on the front foot.
By 4.30pm UK time the S&P 500 was up 0.3% at 4,171.64.
Pharma giant AstraZeneca said its Covid-19 vaccine had been granted special approval for emergency use in Japan for active immunisation of individuals aged 18 years and older. Its share price dipped 0.2% to £81.16.
Real estate investment trust SERGO has announced an eight-year, €500 million (£431 million) senior unsecured green bond issue for the SERGO European Logistics Partnership (SELP) joint venture. It was 0.4% lower at £10.28.
Waste management firm Biffa gained 6.1% to 293.75p as it announced the acquisition of assets from rival Viridor for £126 million.
Merchant banking group Close Brothers said it continued to perform strongly in the third quarter amid growth in its lending and asset management business. It climbed 1.9% to £16.08.
Property company LondonMetric Property said it had acquired two vacant warehouse assets in Brent Cross and Streatham in London for a combined £13.5 million. It gained 0.3% to 228.6p.
Wealth manager Investec said it expected earnings to improve in fiscal 2022 after reporting a fall in annual profit as lower interest rates and pandemic-related weakness weighed on performance. It was 0.9% lower at 290.3p.
Diagnostics play Novacyt fell 14.4% to 359p as it warned a disputed contract with the Department for Health and Social Care would have a 'material impact' on revenue.
Shield Therapeutics, a commercial-stage pharmaceutical company with a focus on addressing iron deficiency, remains 'on track' to launch Accrufer in the US by end of June 2021. Its share price was up 3.1% to 59.6p.
Tracsis, a leading provider of software, hardware, data analytics/GIS and services for the rail, traffic data and wider transport industries, has welcomed the long-awaited Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail in the UK. It gained 5.6% to 855p.