(Reuters) – London’s blue-chip FTSE 100 traded near all-time highs on Monday as investors awaited Donald Trump’s return to the White House for fresh insights on his stance on tariffs and international relations.
The FTSE 100 index of top British firms edged up 0.2%, hovering just below its record peak touched on Friday. Trading volumes were thin due to a U.S. holiday.
Trump, who has pledged to sign a flurry of executive orders concerning immigration, energy and tariffs on his first day in office, will be sworn in as the U.S. President at 1700 GMT.
Traders have been concerned that his threats of tariffs on China and other countries could stoke inflation and weigh on global growth.
Also in focus this week is the annual gathering of government and business leaders in Davos as well as earnings reports.
Stock markets across the globe surged last week after data pointing to slowing inflation in the U.S. and the UK prompted traders to add to bets of further rate cuts from the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England.
Traders are currently pricing in an 81% chance of a 25 basis points rate cut from the BoE early next month, and see 62 bps of easing overall by the end of 2025.
The FTSE 250 midcap index dipped 0.5% after a four-day run of gains.
Among single stocks, Reach Plc soared 26%, on course for its best day in more than 14 years, after the publisher of the Daily Mirror said it estimates fiscal 2024 operating profit to beat market expectations, helped by a strong fourth quarter.
Entain slipped 1.5% after Britain’s accounting watchdog started an investigation into KPMG’s audit of the bookmaker’s financials for the year ended December 2022.
Electric Vehicle charging point provider Pod Point Group plunged about 40% after it warned of a challenging year and cut its 2024 revenue forecast due to weaker EV demand.
(Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Eileen Soreng)
