BHP made a controversial offer for Anglo American that lifted Anglo’s share price 16% on Thursday. This, along with the rally in AstraZeneca after better-than-expected earnings helped the FTSE 100 rise 0.5%.

Today, the index continues its record run, climbing 0.6% this morning and hitting a new high for the fourth consecutive session. Darktrace surged 16.5% after a buyout deal by Thoma Bravo. NatWest shares jumped after reporting a smaller-than-expected profit decline. Anglo American rejected the £31.1 billion takeover proposal from BHP , stating the bid significantly undervalued the company. Analysts see limited operational synergies in the proposed merger. J Sainsbury announced a share buyback program, and Redde Northgate proposed a name change to Zigup PLC.

In other news, U.S. GDP growth slowed in Q1, and inflation pressure increased. The Bank of Japan kept its ultra-low interest rates unchanged, causing the yen to drop to a 34-year low against the dollar. The yen bounced back strongly today. Investors will now monitor the U.S. PCE index, household spending and income data, and the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment survey, due in a few hours.

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