Boris bounce adds £120bn to UK stocks

ALMOST £120bn has been added to the value of Britain’s leading companies since Boris Johnson won the General Election earlier this month.

In nine consecutive days of gains since the Conservative Party’s victory, the FTSE 100 has risen by more than 6pc or 371 points, adding £93bn to the value of the Uk’s largest listed companies.

The FTSE 250 has climbed by 6pc or 1,266 points, increasing the value of the more domestically focused index of mid- sized companies by £23.2bn.

The rally – a major boost for savers with pensions, ISAs and other investments – comes as stock markets around the world hit record highs.

The FTSE 100 has now risen for 11 consecutive days, including nine since the election. That marks the longest winning streak in three years. The blue chip index clocked up 14 days of gains between December 22, 2016, and January 13, 2017.

The rally has been attributed to the socalled Boris bounce, with investors and business leaders welcoming Johnson’s victory over a hard-Left Labour Party led by Jeremy Corbyn.

The Tories, with their General Election promise to ‘get Brexit done’, are widely seen as being the most business-friendly option in Uk politics, and their overwhelming victory at the polls is expected to unleash a wave of investment by companies which had been put off by the stasis in Westminster.

kerstin Braun, president of trade finance company Stenn Group, said: ‘Boris Johnson’s win provides the much-needed solidity the Uk has been craving. Businesses can begin to see their future, now Brexit is confirmed to go ahead.

‘It’s unlikely a trade deal will be decided until the end of 2020 so it’s vital firms start investing again as they exit Brexit limbo. This is critical for long-term growth.’

At 7644.9 points, the FTSE 100 is still some way off its all-time high of 7877.45 points seen in May 2018, but some experts believe the index could smash through this ceiling in 2020.

John Moore, senior investment manager at Brewin Dolphin, said: ‘Uk companies look undervalued and the reasons for not owning Uk assets are starting to dissipate. That could precipitate a return to Uk equities for investors who previously sold them off.

‘It may not be immediate, but with greater political certainty there are good reasons to believe the main Uk market can hit a new high in 2020.

‘Whether it will hit 8,000 points, as some have suggested, is another question. That could begin to look like an adrenaline rush, rather than the steady uplift the market would want.’

Over the past year, the stock markets of Russia, Greece and Dubai-kuwait have been the world’s strongest performers, while qatar, Poland and Chile have been the worst.