British stocks rose on Friday, outperforming European peers trading in the red, while pound climbed above $1.35 as investors digested fresh retail sales data showing a 0.4% rise in December ahead of the Bank of England’s next rate decision.
As of 1146 GMT, the blue-chip index FTSE 100about 0.1% and the British GBP/USD rose 0.3% against the dollar to 1.3529.
The DAX index in Germany was flat, while the CAC 40 in France also slipped 0.4%.
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UK roundup
U.K. retail sales rose 0.4% in December compared to the previous month, rebounding after a November decline, according to data released by the Office of National Statistics on Friday.
The figures significantly outperformed economist expectations, which had predicted sales would remain flat for the month. On an annual basis, retail sales jumped 2.5%, up from a revised 1.8% increase in November and well above the 1.0% forecast.
In corporate news, C&C Group (LON:GCC) fell over 10% after it lowered profit outlook for fiscal year 2026, now expecting adjusted operating profit between €70 million and €73 million. The alcoholic beverage company cited weak consumer confidence following the November UK Budget as negatively impacting customer performance in November and early December.
Meanwhile, Babcock International Group PLC(LON:BAB) reported on Thursday that strong organic revenue growth continued through its third quarter, keeping the defense contractor on track to meet its full-year margin target of 8%. The company also announced that CEO David Lockwood would retire, with a successor from the Nuclear sector already selected.
