Britain’s main stock indexes rose on Friday, poised for weekly and monthly gains, despite uncertainty surrounding US trade policies.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index climbed 0.8%, set to end the month higher with three consecutive weeks of gains.
Meanwhile, the domestically focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index was up 0.6%, on track for a second month of gains.
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit temporarily reinstated President Donald Trump’s tariffs, injecting uncertainty into the market.
However, the Trump administration stated that negotiations with top trading partners, including Britain, have continued despite the trade court’s block. Britain remains the only country to have signed a deal.
On the economic front, Bank of England policymaker Alan Taylor downplayed inflation concerns, advocating for lower interest rates.
Taylor had voted for a bigger half-point cut in May, while the BoE cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point. A survey also showed British public expectations for inflation fell to 4% from 4.2% over the year ahead.
Investors are eagerly awaiting the US Personal Consumption Expenditure data, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation indicator, for insights into future interest rate decisions.
