London’s top index extended a three-day winning streak on Thursday, after already registering its best start to the year so far this week, as global markets shrugged off unrest in the US capital.
Traders hoping that the shortened business day on Christmas Eve – as markets closed at 12.30pm – would include a deal between the UK and EU were left disappointed.
Traders wiped out all the gains made after this week’s vaccine announcements from Moderna and Pfizer on Thursday as a third announcement, this time from AstraZeneca, failed to impress.
Markets plunged into the red across the globe over concerns that rising coronavirus case numbers in the UK, mainland Europe and the US will damage the global economic recovery.