The FTSE Index ended a topsy-turvy week with a final session fall of 83.06 points, down 1.33%, to 6,157.30.
London’s main market was boosted by the prospect of English pubs and restaurants reopening tomorrow.
Leisure group Whitbread – owner of pub-restaurant chains including Beefeater and Brewer’s Fayre, as well as Premier Inn hotels – was among hospitality industry stocks attracting attention, up around 1.6% at £23.87.
But the index was dragged lower by aerospace engineer Rolls-Royce, which fell more than 10% to 263.2p after it said it was reviewing options to strengthen its balance sheet and position itself for recovery.
Roll-Royce, which recently announced plans to axe at least 9,000 jobs, or one-sixth of its workforce, has been hit hard by the sharp downturn in air travel caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Brent crude oil was up 0.12% at $42.82 per barrel, as of 7pm.
Meanwhile, Russ Mould, investment director at financial services firm AJ Bell, said investors would be “particularly pleased” to see Land Securities restore shareholder payouts after £25.6 billion of dividend cuts by Footsie firms in 2020.
