The FTSE 100 rose by 0.3% to end at 7,299.96, after trading in the red in morning action. The blue-chip benchmark scored a 0.6% gain for the week and finished just below a one-month closing high hit Wednesday.

Shares in consumer-products giant Unilever soared 13%, powered by US packaged-foods heavyweight Kraft Heinz announcing that it made a merger proposal to Unilever that was declined.