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FTSE 100 rallies above 7,000 as pound’s flash crash stuns traders
The FTSE 100 crested back toward record highs Friday, boosted by multinationals such as miners, as the British pound hovered at the fresh 31-year low it hit in a volatile Asian session.
As other European indexes logged losses, the FTSE 100 UKX, +0.14% rose 0.6% to close at 7,044.39. That took the benchmark’s weekly gain to 2.1%, having flirted with its record close of 7,103.98 earlier this week on a weaker pound due to Brexit worries.
The pound rebounded somewhat during European trading hours, fetching around $1.2418, after crashing as low as $1.1789 in early Asian trade. It was positioned around $1.2600 before the selloff.
Analysts said it was difficult to pinpoint the cause for the move as it came during hours of low liquidity. Some attributed the move to a so-called “fat finger trade,” while others pointed to late Thursday comments from French President François Hollande, who urged fellow European leaders take a tough stance over Brexit negotiations.