United Kingdom: FTSE 100 Little Changed on Friday.

The FTSE 100 was little changed on Friday as cautious sentiment prevailed, with investors assessing ongoing US Iran talks and President Donald Trump’s decision to delay his deadline for a deal. The lack of clear progress has left markets uncertain, with few catalysts and continued concerns over inflation and interest rates. Data showed UK retail sales fell 0.4% in February, slightly better than expected, while consumer confidence weakened modestly. Defence stocks lagged, with BAE Systems down nearly 2% and Rolls Royce falling over 3%, while banks including Lloyds, Barclays and Standard Chartered declined between 1% and 1.7%. On the upside, AstraZeneca rose about 3% after positive trial results for its COPD drug, while mining stocks advanced, with Endeavour Mining up nearly 2%, Fresnillo over 1%, and Antofagasta, Rio Tinto and Glencore also posting gains. For the week, the UK index increased 0.5%.