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Stock prices in London were higher on Friday morning with 1Spatial on the AIM market experiencing a boost as it agreed in principled to be taken over; meanwhile the UK’s trade deficit widened while the economy shrank 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 £4.0 billion to £6.7 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 $170 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 £87.1 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 $1.3383 early on Friday in London, lower compared to $1.3416 at the equities close on Thursday. The euro stood at $1.1738, lower against $1.1746. Against the yen, the dollar was trading at JP¥155.70, up compared to JP¥155.24.
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 $61.55 a barrel early in London on Friday, from $60.91 late Thursday.
Gold was quoted higher at $4,294.43 an ounce against $4,254.97.
Still to come on Friday’s economic calendar, the Bank of England will soon release its inflation attitudes survey.
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