FTSE 100 closing out the week higher - Market Report

Summary:

• FTSE 100 opened higher on positive results for London listed companies.
• NatWest announced a £1 billion jump in Bretex profits.
• Standard Chartered reported a 20% jump in interim profits and announced a $1 billion buyback.
• International Airlines Group announced a half-year profit of €1.26 billion.
• AstraZeneca's deal to buy Pfizer's gene therapy portfolio led to a jump in their stock.
• Right Moves experienced significant revenue growth.
• Europa Oil and Gas to take over the Clouton Gas Discovery near Scarborough.

Good morning from London, where the FTSE 100 has opened the final trading day of the week higher on some more positive results for London listed companies. Scandal struck NatWest was among their number, announcing a £1 billion jump in Bretex profits – £2.3 billion at the half-year stage, alongside a £500 million buyback and 5.5 pence dividend. Announcing an even larger $1 billion buyback was Standard Chartered, which reported a 20% jump in interim profits and hinted at heightened expectations for the full year. British Airways' owner International Airlines Group flew past consensus expectations, meanwhile announcing a half-year profit of €1.26 billion compared to a loss last year.

A deal to buy Pfizer's early-stage gene therapy portfolio saw AstraZeneca jump as well, as the drugmaker also unveiled better than expected second-quarter results. Elsewhere, Right Moves saw revenues jump at their highest rate since the first half of 2018, and rising among the small camps was Europa Oil and Gas, which announced this morning that it's taking over the Clouton Gas Discovery near Scarborough. That's all for this morning and indeed for this week, I'll see you again on Monday.