Weekly review

The FTSE 100 closed the week up 56.92 points to 6,204.41.

Equity view

Copper miner Antofagasta’s chief executive officer Diego Hernández will retire with immediate effect, to be replaced by Iván Arriagada, the current chief exec of Antofagasta Minerals.

A deal to rescue Tata Steel’s Scunthorpe plant may be signed as early as Monday.

FTSE 250 developer and manager of student accommodation Unite Group revealed the quarterly valuations of its UK Student Accommodation Fund (USAF) and London Student Accommodation Joint Venture (LSAV) on Wednesday, with growth in both operations. It also promoted its managing director of operations Richard Smith to chief executive officer, as incumbent Mark Allan has decided to join St Modwen as the new boss with effect from 1 December.

Asos has pulled its local China operation, a decision that is likely to cost the online fashion retailer roughly £10m, but will continue to supply customers in the People's Republic from its UK base.

Lloyds Banking Group is planning to expand its insurance brand Scottish Widows via several acquisitions, according to reports.

Fourth quarter sales at Marks & Spencer were up 1. 9% as the food business outperformed the market but was again held back by weak clothing sales.

FirstGroup confirmed its overall results for the fourth quarter were in line with management’s expectations as it announced a reduction in the number of trading updates it publishes in light of changes in regulatory requirements and market practice.

Gold miner Centamin said first quarter production from its Sukari operation in Egypt rose 6. 5% compared with the previous period to 125,268 ounces.

Home furnishings retailer Dunelm reported three months of growth on Thursday, with total revenue for the third quarter increasing by 5. 9%. Total like-for-like growth, combining like-for-like stores and home delivery, increased by 1. 1%.

Victrex, which specialises in high performance polymer solutions, reported a drop in first half revenue but said it remains on track for an expected improvement in the second half of the year.

Pharmaceuticals firm Shire said it expected its $32bn (£22. 6bn) merger with Baxalta to go ahead despite new US tax rules stopping the $160bn deal between Pfizer and Allergan.

HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays are reportedly set to close 400 UK branches this year.

After an eventful year, UK Mail Group said it would report lower revenues than expected but that profits would hit target.

Tullow Oil said on Wednesday that it has successfully explored and appraised the Wisting South & Wisting West appraisal well in the Barents Sea, offshore Norway.

Glencore has confirmed it has agreed to sell 40% of its agriculture commodities business to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) for $2. 5bn (£1. 8bn) cash, potentially followed by a further sale of 20% more in the long-term.

Construction and engineering firm Costain announced the appointment of Dr Paul Golby as its new chairman, replacing David Allvey who will retire at the annual general meeting in May after seven years.

FTSE 100 low-cost carrier easyJet saw passenger numbers increase in March, but its load factor decreased as hundreds of flights were cancelled due to industrial action.

Specialist menswear retailer Moss Bros posted a rise in full year profit and sounded an upbeat note on current trading.

Full year pre-tax profits at greeting card maker Card Factory almost doubled to £83. 7m driven by strong sales and new store openings.

Tate & Lyle said trading for the fourth quarter to 31 March 2016 was in line with both expectations and the outlook included in its February trading statement.

Paper maker Mondi said it had been named in a Russian anti-monopoly investigation, although it had not been officially notified by authorities.

Anglo American announced on Monday morning it had entered into a sale and purchase agreement to offload its 70% interest in the Foxleigh metallurgical coal mine in Queensland, Australia.

Ryanair's March traffic rose 28% to 8. 5m customers, while its load factor, the percentage of seats filled on the flight, increased 4% to 94% year-on-year.

Economic news

UK retail prices fell 1. 7% in March, completing three years of deflation as retailers wage war on the pricing front, but easing off from the fall the month before, BRC-Nielsen data revealed.

The rot is stopping at Tesco and an imminent return to growth is on the cards, according to supermarket industry data, though both the market leader and Sainsbury's have lost ground to rivals, Kantar Worldpanel data revealed.

The UK's total trade deficit improved slightly in February, but "remained worryingly large" economists said.

British industrial and factory output registered unexpected declines in February, led by a sharp fall in factory output.

Home prices in the UK rose at a brisk pace in March and were set to continue doing so, amid an ongoing lack of supply, one of the country's leading mortgage lenders said.

UK car sales in March reached levels not seen since 1999, with 5. 3% growth in the new car market, though growth in private new car registrations has slowed.

The Bank of England will re-examine its capital requirements for banks after the referendum on Britain’s membership in the European Union on 23 June, the central bank revealed on Tuesday.

UK service sector growth remained sluggish in March as global economic uncertainty and worries about the upcoming EU membership referendum undermined business expectations.

New UK housing research by Knight Frank on Monday showed that central London house prices have begun to slow to a standstill and that an increasing number of Londoners are moving into the commuter belt around the capital.

UK construction activity growth held steady in March as new business expansion moderated, a survey revealed on Monday.

International events

Pressure was building on Friday for Prime Minister David Cameron to step down after he finally admitted he had in fact benefited from a stake in his late father’s offshore investment fund.

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell a little more than expected last week, according to the Labor Department.

The European Central Bank is willing to do whatever is needed to bring inflation back towards its 2% target, according to three top officials on Thursday.

China's foreign exchange reserves unexpectedly rose in March, according to data released by the People’s Bank of China.

The US trade deficit worsened in February, rising from $45. 9bn to $47. 1bn, according to the Department of Commerce.

Markit’s final US business services purchasing managers' index rose to 51. 3 in March from 49. 7 in March and the 'flash' estimate of 51. 0, back above the 50. 0 mark that separates contraction from expansion.

Greece and the International Monetary Fund were at loggerheads on Monday over a leaked document that suggested the financial body was trying to push the embattled nation towards default.