Next PLC

“The FTSE 100 looks like it might attain the closing high it missed by a whisker yesterday as positive news on trade talks between the US and China boosted sentiment,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould. “Banks, housebuilders and miners did the heavy lifting for the index with the retail sector proving a drag on Wednesday morning after weak sales data yesterday.

“Investors are watching history unfold before their eyes,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell. “The Trump administration has already caused turmoil in the business world with the Liberation Day tariff plan. We’re now entering the next phase as countries do deals with the US, and Trump once again changes the rules as he rips up Joe Biden’s playbook.

“The automotive industry has struck Donald Trump off their Christmas card list after he imposed 25% tariffs on cars and car parts coming into the US from April,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell. “It has caused shares in auto companies to go into reverse and weighed on financial markets, with Wall Street firmly in the red last night and Europe following suit on Thursday.