United Kingdom: FTSE 100 Ends Week Lower.
The FTSE 100 fell on Friday, extending its losses for a fifth consecutive session, as weakness across mining and pharmaceutical stocks weighed on the index. Lower industrial metal prices pressured miners, with Antofagasta falling more than 4%, Glencore dropping 2%, and Anglo American and Rio Tinto falling more than 1%. Meanwhile, Fresnillo and Endeavour recovered from sharp losses to close nearly flat as gold and silver rebounded. Pharmaceutical stocks were similarly weak, with AstraZeneca and GSK both losing more than 2%. On the other hand, Shell rose 1% as oil prices remained supported. Aviva added nearly 2% after reporting a 24% increase in first-half profit compared with the previous year. The company said it remained on track to meet its three-year group targets, providing some support to its shares. For the week, the UK index went down around 1.4%.