-- London's FTSE 100 closed the trading week 0.73% higher on Friday amid renewed optimism over the resolution of the Middle East conflict as a 10-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon takes effect.
"The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon removes one key obstacle for the US-Iran talks. However, a number of issues remain, not least Iran's nuclear program and the control of the Strait of Hormuz," Danske Bank said in a note. "We expect the ceasefire to be extended over the weekend, but as European and Gulf officials warned yesterday, we think a more permanent deal will take months."
With the agreement in place, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a social media post on X that the Strait of Hormuz is "declared completely open" for all commercial vessels "for the remaining period of ceasefire."
The UK economic calendar was quiet for the day. Looking ahead, next week will see the release of several private sector and economy-related data, including the March British inflation figures.
On the corporate side, Fitch affirmed Kingfisher plc's (KGF.L) BBB long-term issuer default rating, with a stable outlook, mainly reflecting its leading position in the home improvement retail market and expectations that the company's credit metrics will remain in line with its rating. The stock was up 2.39% at closing.
Meanwhile, oil and gas giants BP (BP.L) and Shell (SHEL.L) were among the blue-chip index's top fallers, logging respective declines of 7.36% and 5.57% at the end of the trading session.