FTSE 100 Ends Week Higher; WH Smith Falls Amid UK Probe

11:47 AM EST, 12/19/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Britain's FTSE 100 closed the trading week 0.61% in the green as investors digested the latest retail sales and public sector finances data. UK public sector net borrowing excluding banks totaled 11.7 billion pounds sterling in November, down by 1.9 billion pounds from a year ago, data from the Office for National Statistics showed. Analysts estimated a reading of 10 billion pounds for the month. "Despite an increase in spending, this month's borrowing was the lowest November for four years. The main reason for the drop from last year was increased receipts from taxes and National Insurance contributions," ONS senior statistician Tom Davies said. "However, across the financial year to date as a whole, borrowing is higher than last year." Meanwhile, retail sales declined 0.1% month over month in November, compared with a revised 0.9% fall earlier and the consensus estimate of a 0.4% rise. The ONS noted a decrease in non-store retailer volumes amid slower demand for gold. Next week's economic calendar will feature third-quarter gross domestic product and current account figures ahead of the Christmas holidays. In corporate news, WH Smith (SMWH.L) slipped 4.75% on Friday's close after confirming the Financial Conduct Authority's investigation into the company over an accounting error within its North America division. The travel retailer said it is committed to its "robust remediation plan. "Short term we expect the US accounting issues to affect performance of the shares, with scope for the rating to recover if WH Smith can reassure the market that these won't be repeated, and assuming it can start to establish some momentum versus market expectations of Travel growth and profitability," RBC Capital Markets wrote in a quick-take report.