London's FTSE 100 touched a record high on Wednesday, as positive corporate updates and expectations of further monetary policy easing outweighed worries about tariffs promised by U.S. President Donald Trump.

FTSE 100 futures are about flat heading into the session, after the index closed at another record high yesterday. The pound is a touch lower, down 0.1% against the dollar, but sticking above $1.23. Stay with us for everything that matters to UK markets.

The FTSE 100 ( ^FTSE) and European stocks were higher on Wednesday as UK government borrowing rose more than expected in December to hit its highest level for the month for four years. This continues to pile more pressure on the UK's finances.

The FTSE 100 reached a record high due to positive corporate news and expectations of further monetary easing. Despite new U.S. tariff threats, the positive sentiment continued. Meanwhile, Britain's budget deficit grew,

Donald Trump’s threat of a 10% tariff on goods imported from China today led to weaker sessions for the Shanghai Composite and the Hang Seng index. The benchmarks have fallen 0.9% and 1.8% respectively, while the Nikkei 225 is up by 1.6% after last night’s positive Wall Street session.

The FTSE 100 index of top British firms ended up 0.2% at a fresh closing peak, though off its intraday high. Trading volumes were thin due to a U.S. market holiday. Trump, who has pledged to sign a flurry of executive orders concerning immigration, energy and tariffs on his first day in office, is being sworn in as U.S. president.

Sanderson Design has warned that its profits will slump by more than half this year after hopes of a pick-up in trading were dashed by a “challenging consumer and industry environment.” The luxury furnishing supplier said underlying pre-tax profits for the 12 months to end January will be in the region of £4 million to £4.

The FTSE 100 has hit another all-time high today of 8,548.59, leaving traders hopeful for a new record in 2025.

Analysis of FTSE 100's 2025 outlook now that it has risen to a new all-time high, examining key drivers including P/E ratios, dividend yields, sterling weakness and technical factors that could push the index to 9,

The FTSE 100 smashed through the 8,500 barrier for the first time in its history today as the blue chip index powered to a new all-time high.

London's blue-chip FTSE 100 traded near all-time highs on Monday as investors awaited Donald Trump's return to the White House for fresh insights on his stance on tariffs and international relations.

Asia markets have seen robust trading while the dollar has recovered some of the ground lost on the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration. The pound, which yesterday had its best session in a year, weakened in early dealings to stand at $1.2262. The Hang Seng index rose 0.8% while the Shanghai Composite stayed close to its opening mark.