Market Report - Close
London close: Stocks end 2017 with a bang as FTSE hits fresh high
London stocks ended the year with a bang on Friday, pushing up to a fresh closing high, having risen around 8% since the start of 2017.
London close: Shares hold on to record highs
London stocks finished the session little changed as strength in miners helped to offset the positive tone in the pound, although trading volumes and news were light heading into the new year.
London close: Stocks push further into record territory, amid holiday-thinned trading volumes
London shares notched up fresh record highs on Wednesday as the pound ticked up against the greenback, with a strong performance from miners and retailers and a sprinkling of M&A news providing some momentum amid holiday-thinned volumes.
London close: Stocks beat slight retreat after hitting new festive high
London stocks ended the final session before Christmas in festive red amid thin volumes, although there was some Yuletide cheer to be had as the top-flight index enjoyed a fresh high earlier in the day.
London close: Stocks hit fresh record high
The top flight index notched up a fresh record high on Thursday as investors digested the passing of the US tax reform bill and the latest readings on UK consumer confidence and public finances, although trading volumes were much thinner than usual in the run-up to Christmas.
London close: Stocks stumble amid thin volumes, IMF downgrade
London stocks dipped lower late on Wednesday amid thin trading volumes, a downgrade of UK growth forecasts from the International Monetary Fund and a mixed start on Wall Street.
London close: Footsie hovers near record-highs ahead of US tax cut vote
London stocks managed to just about hold their head above water on Tuesday, with optimism over the US tax reform bill failing to provide much of a boost as investors began to wind down for Christmas.
London close: US tax cut hopes kick-off 'Santa rally' in stocks
London stocks jumped on Monday amid expectations the US tax reform bill will be passed soon and on the back of thinner trading volumes as traders headed off on their holidays.
London close: Footsie gains as pound drops, Wall Street hits fresh highs
The top flight index recovered some ground on Friday, but mostly on account of weakness in Sterling after German Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly echoed other European Union officials, saying "the most difficult phase is ahead of us".
London close: Footsie lower as traders test Sterling upside
London stocks finished lower on Thursday as the Bank of England stood pat on monetary policy, as widely expected, but amid dovishness across the Pond and on the other side of the Channel which resulted in a stronger Sterling.
London close: Stocks flat as traders wait on US Fed
London stocks were little changed on Wednesday as investors digested some mixed UK jobs data and looked ahead to the latest policy announcement from the Federal Reserve.
London close: Forties failure lifts FTSE as inflation spikes
London stocks extended their gains on Tuesday as supply disruptions boosted the energy sector and investors mulled higher than expected UK inflation figures.
London close: Footsie gains on pound, strength in mining and oil equipment names
London stocks pushed higher on Monday as investors digested the latest on Brexit and looked ahead to a week of central bank updates.
London close: Weak pound, Chinese trade data boost Footsie
London stocks jumped at the end of the week, helped by weakness in the pound and as investors digested better than expected Chinese trade data.
London close: Stocks dip as miners weigh and pound rallies
London stocks were not able to hold onto their modest early gains and closed in the red on Thursday as late pressure came from the pound on renewed optimism over a Brexit deal.
London close: Stocks gains as Sterling wavers amid Brexit uncertainty
Shares reversed earlier losses to finish just a touch higher on Wednesday as the pound remained under pressure on account of the breakdown in Brexit talks, with M&A news providing a welcome distraction.
London close: Pound rally on Brexit 'alignment' hits stocks, copper dents miners
London equity markets pared early gains to finish lower on Tuesday as services data disappointed, mining stocks lurched lower and the pound made a late rally after more encouraging reports on Brexit negotiations.
London close: Shares held back as Brexit talks hit unexpected snag
London stocks were up but off earlier highs even as investors welcomed the passing of the US tax reform bill, held back by the lack of a widely-expected breakthrough in the Brexit negotiations, reportedly on the back of opposition from the DUP.
London close: Stocks succumb to selling as Russia controversy envelops US administration
London stocks ended the Friday session on a down note as reports began to break that ex-US national security agency chief Michael Flynn might testify against his previous boss, the US president.