Stronger oil prices helped the FTSE 100 stay ahead despite nervousness around the US presidential election and key interest rate decisions.
London’s blue-chip index rose 0.5%, or 42 points, to 8,220 at the start of a ‘week of potential volatility, with the highly fractious US presidential election in focus and key interest rate decisions looming’, said Susannah Streeter, head of markets at Hargreaves Lansdown.
Weekend polls indicated Democrat candidate Kamala Harris may have gained ground in key battleground states against Republican Donald Trump. This led to a slight softening in the dollar as investors considered the chances of Trump setting off a fresh tariff frenzy, pushing up inflation and interest rates, had fallen.
