8 January 2021 | 11:59am
StockMarketWire.com - The FTSE 100 was just about on course to end the week on a high point by Friday lunchtime. By midday the index was up a handful of points up 6,863.57, extending its stellar start to 2021.
Wall Street stocks hit record highs on Thursday after Congress confirmed Joe Biden as the winner of the presidential election, boosting hopes for additional economic stimulus. US futures suggested this momentum would be sustained when trading resumes later.
Asian shares also climbed, with the Nikkei hitting a 30-year high.
Marks & Spencer reported a slump in profits in the run up to Christmas as trading restrictions resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic continue to take their toll.