Markets soar on first trading day since Brexit deal agreed

THE pre-ChristmasBrexit deal put a spring in the step of traders, sending London’s top index to its highest point since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic on yesterday.

In its first session since trading paused on Thursday, the FTSE 100 closed up 100.54 points to 6,602.65, a rise of 1.6%.

Investors were reacting to the trade deal which was struck between London and Brussels on Christmas Eve.

The pound gained ground, too, by 0.4% against the dollar to 1.3509, and by 0.1% against the euro, at 1.103.

In the US, the Dow Jones was flat, while the

S&P 500 had risen by 0.2% a little after markets closed in Europe. Across the Channel, the Cac in Paris rose by 0.5%, while Germany’s Dax dropped by 0.2%.

Brent crude rose 0.7% to 51.23 dollars per barrel.

The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were Halma, up 116p to 2514p, Diageo, up 131p to 3045p, Next, up 306p to 7234p, Pershing Square, up 105p to 2535p, and Smith & Nephew, up 65p to 1590.5p.

The biggest fallers were Lloyds Group, down 1.85p to 36.755p, Barclays, down 5.32p to 149.28p, Natwest Group, down 5.6p to 163.35p, Rolls-Royce, down 2.9p to 112.85p, and Whitbread, down 65p to 3149p.