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The FTSE 100 is expected to start the week on the front foot ahead of a raft of PMI readings.

Spread betting companies are calling London’s lead index up by around 15 points

The FTSE 100 is expected to open sharply higher on Friday after Wall Street rallied and Meta provided some fireworks after the US close.

Spread betting companies are calling London’s lead index up by around 53 points

Https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/1039950/lloyds-banking-set-for-value-uplift-in-2024-analyst-1039950.html

Governor bailey must cut interest rates and supercharge an economy already doing much better than the doom-mongers claim

The FTSE 100 is expected to open lower after the chair of the US Federal Reserve poured cold water on hopes for a cut in interest rates in March as they left interest rates unchanged.

Spread betting companies are calling London’s lead index down by around 26 points

The FTSE 100 is expected to open marginally higher on Wednesday as the market awaits the interest rate decision and commentary from the US Federal Reserve.

Spread betting companies are calling London's blue-chip index up by around 10 points

Business confidence has reached its highest level since February 2022, as firms bet that falling inflation and interest rate cuts will boost the economy.

Overall confidence rose in the Lloyds Business Barometer, which measures businesses’ confidence by assessing their trading prospects and optimism in the economy, rose to 44 per cent in January, up nine points from last month.

Hann-Ju Ho, senior economist at Lloyds, noted this had been the strongest start to a year since January 2016.

https://www.cityam.com/business-confidence-bounces-back-in-january-to-two-year-high/

Https://www.cityam.com/ftse-analysts-most-bullish-on-uk-stocks-since-before-brexit-as-london-undervalued/

Https://www.astonmartinf1.com/en-GB/news/announcement/omp-becomes-official-racewear-supplier-to-aston-martin-aramco

Https://www.motorsport.com/wec/news/aston-martin-begins-test-programme-for-valkyrie-lmh-racer/10569750/

Rate cuts in Q2

This will be good hopefully share price will rise on this👍

Next week the Bank of England will meet for the first time this year for its latest decision on interest rates.

It is all but certain that interest rates – which stand at a post-financial crisis high of 5.25 per cent – will be left on hold for now, but looking further into the year there is more debate.

Markets are convinced that a rate cut is coming, likely in the first half of this year.

https://www.cityam.com/six-graphs-that-explain-the-uk-economy-ahead-of-bank-of-englands-interest-rate-decision/

Https://www.smmt.co.uk/2024/01/uk-auto-makes-one-million-vehicles-and-welcomes-23-7-billion-investment-boost/

There has been a big data drop in the US with economic growth figures stronger than expected, powered by consumer spending.

GDP rose at a 3.3% annualised rate, according to the government’s preliminary estimate, ahead of market forecasts of 2.0% growth.

Thirteen years of rock-bottom interest rates made it very hard for the sector to make profits, but the need to quell inflation with higher interest rates means the last two years have delivered a dramatic turnaround.

‘Bank investors are reaping the dividends of this reversal and we expect them to see even larger payouts in 2024

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-13001421/amp/Higher-rates-push-banks-pay-dividends-sector.html

Money market expect BoE to begin cutting interest rates by June at the latest

The banking sector’s strong performance was driven by Asia-focused giant HSBC, which awarded £8.4bn over the course of last year – nearly double the £4.4bn it paid in 2022.

HSBC resumed its quarterly dividends after suspending them during the Covid-19 pandemic and reasserted itself as the UK’s top dividend payer – last holding the title in 2008.

It has promised a $4bn (£3.1bn) special dividend from the sale of its Canadian business to RBC, which received government approval last month.

Banks’ profits were boosted by the Bank of England hiking interest rates 14 times in a row until last September, giving them scope for much larger dividends.

Https://www.cityam.com/banks-lead-uk-firms-in-dividend-payments-after-hsbc-dishes-out-8-4bn/

Christine Lagarde has kept interest rates unchanged

The European Central Bank’s governing council has kept interest rates unchanged, as expected.

The ECB’s rate on its main refinancing operations, which provide the bulk of liquidity to the banking system, is at 4.5%. Its deposit rate, which is paid on commercial bank deposits, is at 4%. The marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks, is at 4.75%.