Tuesday, December 30

UK stocks tick up and Europe mixed as global markets head for best year since 2019


The FTSE 100 (^FTSE) ticked up while European indices wobbled on Tuesday, in the last full trading day of what has been a bountiful year for the stock market.

Despite choppiness caused by conflicts around the world as well as president Donald Trump’s unpredictable tariff policy, indices such as the FTSE have made considerable gains.

Since the start of the year London’s premier index is up more than 20% while the US’ benchmark indices, the Dow (^DJI), S&P 500 (^GSPC) and Nasdaq (^IXIC), have gained 13.9%, 17.4% and 21.6% apiece.

The Nasdaq has been supported by rallying tech stocks such as AI chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA), which has seen a more than 40% share price jump so far this year.

The MSCI, an index which tracks stock börses across the world, has had its best year since 2019.

The domestically-focused FTSE 250 (^FTMC), which serves as a measure of UK stocks, has added 8.6% this year.

  • On Tuesday morning, the FTSE 100 had moved 0.1% higher. Miners Fresnillo (FRES.L), Glencore (GLEN.L) and Antofagasta (ANTO.L) were among the top gainers in the index.

  • The DAX (^GDAXI) in Germany was almost flat.

  • Over in Paris, the CAC 40 (^FCHI) dipped 0.1%.

  • The pan-European STOXX 600 (^STOXX) rose 0.1%.

  • The pound was almost flat against the dollar (GBPUSD=X), trading just above the $1.35 mark

LIVE 4 updates

  • How US stock futures are faring

  • Overnight in the US

    Our US team writes:

    US stocks slipped Monday to start the final three days of trading in a rollercoaster 2025 that looks likely to end with sizeable gains.

    The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) declined 0.5%, as shares of megacaps Nvidia (NVDA) and Tesla (TSLA) both fell over 1.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) also fell 0.5%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) dipped around 0.3%.

    Meanwhile, volatility gripped the precious metals trade after a furious rally to all-time highs. Silver (SI=F) retreated, plummeting as much as 7% after rising above $80, while gold (GC=F) futures fell over 3%.

    Stocks fell after ending a shortened Christmas trading week near all-time highs, with the S&P 500 and Dow setting records on Wednesday to start the “Santa Claus rally” period — the last five trading days of December and first two sessions in January.

  • Dr Martens looks to expand boot resale platform

    Footwear retailer Dr Martens (DOCS.L) has revealed it is considering expanding its ReWair resale platform outside the US as it looks to capitalise on the boom in the second-hand economy.

    The UK-headquartered group, whose yellow-stitched boots have been a retro mainstay for decades, launched its ReWair offering in America in March 2024 as part of its aims to be more sustainable.

    The branded resale platform has been such a success, with more than 10,000 pre-loved pairs sold in the US since launch, the group is now mooting bringing the platform to other countries around the world.

    Chief executive Ije Nwokorie told the Press Association the group was looking at how it could “build that offering out”.

    He said it had not made a decision on which countries would be next or when, but said “if it’s successful in one place” it was natural to look at expansion.

  • Good morning!

    Hello from London — it’s betwixtmas, but the news doesn’t stop.

    In terms of key data and diary releases, the US’s house price index can be expected later on alongside the FOMC minutes recapping the Federal Reserve’s last policy meeting.

    It’s pretty quiet on the earnings front.

    Let’s get to it.



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