12th Dec 2025 08:59
(Alliance News) - Stock prices in London opened higher on Friday, after UK data revealed a widened trade deficit and the economy shrinking in October.
Gross domestic product is estimated to have fallen by 0.1% in October, the same as in September, and missing the FXStreet-cited market consensus for a 0.1% rise, the Office for National Statistics reported.
The ONS also reported that the UK goods and services trade deficit widened by GBP4.0 billion to GBP6.7 billion in the three months to October 2025.
The FTSE 100 index opened up 42.71 points, 0.4%, at 9,745.87. The FTSE 250 was up 87.66 points, 0.4%, at 21,939.76, and the AIM All-Share was up 4.64 points, 0.6%, at 752.30.
The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.6% at 977.53, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.4% at 19,061.87, and the Cboe Small Companies was up 0.3% at 17,512.23.
Precious metals miner Fresnillo led the FTSE 100, up 5.4%. Metlen Energy & Metals led the laggers, down 0.7%.
Harbour Energy topped the FTSE 250, rising 6.7%.
The oil and gas producer has agreed to buy "substantially all" subsidiaries of Waldorf Energy Partners Ltd and Waldorf Production Ltd, currently in administration, for USD170 million.
Harbour expects the deal to add 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in oil-weighted production, and 35 million boe in 2P reserves, and said it is immediately materially accretive to free cash flow.
On AIM, 1spatial surged up 42%.
The Cambridge, England-based master location data management firm has reached an agreement in principle with VertiGIS Ltd, a portfolio company of London-based private equity firm Battery Ventures, on VertiGIS' proposed GBP87.1 million takeover offer.
The cash bid would value each 1Spatial share at 73 pence each, a premium to the 66.00p per share price early on Friday.
VertiGIS has until January 9 to make a firm bid proposal.
In European equities on Friday, the CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.3%, while the DAX 40 in Frankfurt was up 0.5%.
France's consumer price index inflation rate came in as anticipated in November, data published by the National Institute of Statistics & Economic Studies showed.
The country's annual CPI inflation rate was 0.9% in November, the same as in October and in line with preliminary data published in late November.
Monthly, consumer prices in France fell 0.2% in November, after a 0.1% increase in October. November's fall was a bit sharper than the flash reading of a 0.1% decline.
The pound was quoted at USD1.3383 early on Friday in London, lower compared to USD1.3416 at the equities close on Thursday. The euro stood at USD1.1738, lower against USD1.1746. Against the yen, the dollar was trading at JPY155.70, up compared to JPY155.24.
In Asia on Friday, the Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo was up 1.4%. In China, the Shanghai Composite was up 0.4%, while the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong was up 1.7%. The S&P/ASX 200 in Sydney closed up 1.2%.
In the US on Thursday, Wall Street ended mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 1.3%, the S&P 500 up 0.2% and the Nasdaq Composite down 0.3%.
The yield on the US 10-year Treasury was quoted at 4.16%, widening from 4.12%. The yield on the US 30-year Treasury was quoted at 4.81%, widening from 4.77%.
Brent oil was quoted higher at USD61.55 a barrel early in London on Friday, from USD60.91 late Thursday.
Gold was quoted higher at USD4,294.43 an ounce against USD4,254.97.
Still to come on Friday's economic calendar, the Bank of England will soon release its inflation attitudes survey.
By Emma Curzon, Alliance News reporter
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