London stocks managed a positive finish on Friday, joining global markets for an end-of-week rebound, as worries about inflation eased.
“It looks like a positive end to the week is in sight for risk assets, which have recovered from their inflation panic 48 hours ago,” said IG Chief Market Analyst, Chris Beauchamp. Beauchamp said 2021 was still resembling 2017 in the “smallness of its pullbacks”, combined with a declining VIX that revealed the extent to which investors were willing to take on risk.
According to the Commerce Department, advance retail sales were flat last month, making for a marked change when compared to estimates for a gain of 0.8 per cent and March’s upwardly-revised 10.7 per cent surge. Back in Britain, UK Vaccines Minister, Nadhim Zahawi, said before lunch that the government was gearing up to “flex” its inoculation program in order to tackle the new coronavirus variant first detected in India.