AUD/JPY continues its decline, nearing 100.30 during the Asian trading hours on Friday.

Consumer confidence jumped in November, a long-running survey showed on Friday, after uncertainty seen in the run-up to the Budget eased.

GBP/JPY remains steady around 194.50 during the early European hours, following the lower-than-expected UK Retail Sales figures for October released on Friday.

Closely-watched PMI figures for this month were worse than analysts had pencilled in amid mounting fears of a slowdown.

London stocks were set to rise at the open on Friday as investors mulled an improvement in consumer confidence but a bigger-than-expected drop in retail sales.

London stocks rose in early trade on Friday as investors mulled an improvement in consumer confidence but a bigger-than-expected drop in retail sales.

UK business output contracted in November for the first time in more than a year, according to a survey released on Friday.

London stocks were still in the black by midday on Friday as investors mulled an improvement in consumer confidence, but a contraction in UK business output and a bigger-than-expected drop in retail sales.

London’s equity markets ended the week on a high note, as investors digested an improvement in UK consumer confidence, even as other indicators such as business output and retail sales painted a more challenging picture.