12 March 2021 | 16:39pm
StockMarketWire.com - The FTSE 100 did rather than better than its US and European counterparts on Friday, closing up 0.4% at 6,761.47. By 4.30pm UK time the S&P 500 was down 0.3% to 3,926.72.
Weakness in sterling on a messy set of UK economic data helped lift the internationally-focused FTSE.
The UK economy shrank by 2.9% in January, somewhat lower than the 4.9% drop many were anticipating, whilst UK imports and exports both fell by 19.3% in January
Housebuilder Berkeley said it remained on track to deliver annual profit similar to last year s, in line with guidance, as market fundamentals remained strong supported by low interest rates and an undersupply of homes. Its shares fell 5.8% to £43.06.