FTSE 100 Live: Private equity eyes cheap London firms; early FTSE gains disappear as blue-chips close up 0.1%

Blue-chip shares have continued their recent progress after the FTSE 100 index posted its fourth successive weekly gain on Friday.

London’s top flight returned above 7900 this moning as the banking turmoil that brought volatile conditions only a month ago fades.

Companies reporting today include defence technology specialist Qinetiq and the recruitment firm Page. It also emerged this morning that FTSE 250-listed oil engineering consultancy Wood has opened takeover talks with private equity firm Apollo.