London stocks closed at a record high yesterday on the back of a Santa Rally in subdued trade after a long Christmas holiday, while Wall Street retreated from record highs.
The British capital’s benchmark FTSE 100 index of top blue-chip firms won 0.5% from last Friday as traders returned from a four-day holiday weekend, closing at a record high of 7,106.08 points, beating the previous record of 7,103.98 set in April 2015.
Elsewhere in Europe, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 was up 0.02% to close at 11,474.99, while Paris’ CAC 40 was down 0.01% at 4,848.01.
The “Santa Rally bullishness appears to remain firm on hopes of an Opec-led production cut and Trump stimulus,” Accendo Markets analyst Mike van Dulken told AFP, with rising oil prices boosting a number of FTSE 100 stocks.
The record close came as US stocks have also been setting new highs following the US election victory of Donald Trump sparking hopes of additional spending and tax cuts, with the Dow having flirted with the 20,000 level in recent weeks.
Rising commodity prices have also boosted mining companies on the FTSE.
“The FTSE 100 is the star performer today, helped on its way higher by an excellent turn from the index’s mining contingent,” said analyst Chris Beauchamp at online trading firm IG.
Shares in Anglo American shot up 3.6% and BHP Billiton jumped 4.3% and Fresnillo soared 5.2%. Rangold rose 4.9% and Rio Tinto 3.4%.
The main corporate deal of the day was British energy giant BP, which announced it has bought a network of Australian petrol stations from supermarket chain Woolworths for $1.3bn (€1.2bn).
BP said in a statement that it will establish a strategic partnership with Woolworths in a deal for the purchase, rebranding and operation of Woolworths’ existing 527 fuel and convenience stores, plus 16 sites under construction, for the equivalent of A$1.8bn.
The company’s share price bumped 1.2% higher to close at 508.90 pence.
Thin trading volumes are expected to continue during what is the last trading week of 2016.
On the Wall Street, the tech-heavy Nasdaq pushed higher at the open after having finished at a fresh record Tuesday, with the Dow once again briefly flirting with the 20,000 milestone.
US stock prices quickly pulled back, however, with the Dow and Nasdaq down modestly approaching midday.
Meanwhile the dollar, which has strengthened on expectations of rising US interest rates, pushed higher.
The euro fell back below the $1.04 level, which it briefly breached last week.
Pedestrians walk past the London Stock Exchange Group offices in the Paternoster Square in London. The British capital’s benchmark FTSE 100 index of top blue-chip firms yesterday won 0.5% from last Friday as traders returned from a four-day holiday weekend, closing at a record high of 7,106.08 points, beating the previous record of 7,103.98 set in April 2015.
