An employee passes share price information displayed on an electronic ticker board inside the London Stock Exchange Group Plc's offices in London, UK. File photo: BLOOMBERG/LUKE MACGREGOR
It seemed a bit of a struggle early on as London's FTSE slipped 0.1%, but there were just enough gains in the rest of Europe and in Asia overnight to ensure things kept shuffling forward. A"substantial majority" of Fed policymakers had agreed it would"likely soon be appropriate" to slow the pace of interest rate rises, the minutes released on Wednesday showed, although"various participants" had also said rates might need to go"somewhat higher than they had previously expected".
Germany’s closely followed Ifo business climate index also rose more than expected, following on from some upbeat data from France too, while Turkey was expected to slash its rates again later despite eyewateringly high inflation. Chinese property stocks stormed nearly 7% higher, meanwhile, after banks there pledged at least $38bn in fresh credit lines to cash-strapped developers.