Market overview: Stocks end lower for a third week in a row

1630:Close Stocks skidded lower into the weekend, as traders mulled over the increased likelihood of a US Fed hike in December amid lingering worries surrounding the situation in China. Weak GDP data out of the Eurozone fanned fears regarding overly weak investment in Germany. Market chatter to the effect that the euro area would be better served if it loosened its fiscal straitjacket was to be heard. Miners managed a bounce despite another drop in copper prices. The Footsie ended a third consecutive week lower, surrendering 235.55 points over the latest five day stretch.

1545: Front month West Texas crude futures are down 2.95% to $40.53 per barrel on the NYMEX, while Brent is off by a smaller 1.09% to reach $43.62.

1358: Today's gains in StanChart and First Group are likely the result of the latest relevant data on Directors' dealings, with the chief of the former, Bill Winters, having picked up just over £1m-worth of stock in the lender whose board he chairs.

1330: The volume of retail sales in the US edged higher by 0.1% month-on-month in October, half of analysts' expectations. Excluding automobiles they rose by 0.2%, which was also half of what was expected.

1329: Analysts at Credit Suisse cut their target price on shares of IMI to 870p from 980p and on Thomas Cook to 135p. JP Morgan (to 405p from 630p), Credit Suisse (to 530p from 833.51p) and RBC (to 540p from 750p) all lowered their targets on Rolls.

1108: Miners are in the lead on the top flight index, while G4S is doing worst after analysts at RBC cut their target price on the stock to 210p from 230p.

1107: Shares in IMI are being weighed down by a downgrade out of SocGen to ‘hold’ from ‘buy’.

1000: Eurozone GDP slowed to a 0.3% quarter-on-quarter clip in the third quarter from the 0.4% pace seen over the previous three months (consensus: 0.3%).

0930: UK construction output declined at a 1.6% year-on-year pace in September, after a 1.3% fall in the month before, the largest since May 2013.

0900: According to the IEA global oil stocks reached a record of near-3bn at end-September.

0848: Stocks have begun the morning slightly lower following losses overnight on Wall Street and in Asia, ahead of a raft of US retail sales and consumer confidence data due out later in the day. That came after somewhat hawkish remarks from three Fed rate-setters on Thursday evening. No significant data releases are scheduled in the UK. The latest French and German GDP figures were mixed, with the former a tad above forecasts but with the latter a smidgen below.