Britain’s FTSE 100 rose last Friday as the US-China trade talks showed signs of progress. The world’s two largest economies are seeking to settle their trade disputes amid China’s economic slowdown. The slowdown in China has spilled over onto global markets over the last few months, and several large companies like Nvidia credit their recent poor performance to the situation in China.
Both the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 climbed 0.5% on Friday, falling in line with European stocks. Blue chips are also up and on track for their best performance since February last year. Banks and mining shares have been the leading force behind the good news.
The markets responded positively to news that US President Donald Trump will meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to try and arrange a comprehensive solution to the current stand-off. The top US negotiator reported “substantial progress” over the last round of talks. Shareholders across the globe have taken a close interest in the recent news out of China. The world’s second largest economy has seen factory activity shrinking while domestic demand wanes. Economic indicators recently released from China have caused jitters to reverberate in London, New York, and elsewhere.
