What happened yesterday?
U.S. stocks fluctuated near record highs and benchmark Treasury 10-year note yields rose to a 10-month high as investors mulled the prospects of the economic recovery and vaccine rollout. The S&P 500 closed up 0.04% at 3,801.19, while the Nasdaq rose 0.28% to 13,072.43.
On this side of the Atlantic, the FTSE dipped 0.65% to close at 6754.11.
The pound gained 0.84% against the dollar to $1.3632 and was 0.72% stronger against the euro at €1.3632.
In terms of commodities, silver rose two percent to $25.40 per ounce, its first advance in a week.
In company news:
Ted Baker is reported to have pressured some staff to return to the office during lockdown, despite official government guidance to work from home if possible. Affected staff reportedly work in teams dedicated to design, merchandising, studio, buying and production and store design.
The Hut Group, an e-commerce company, said it now expects revenue for the current year to increase by between 30% and 35%, up from previous guidance of 20% to 25% growth after a strong start to the year.
British Airways is facing the largest group claim over a data breach in UK legal history following a 2018 incident that exposed details of more than 400,000 of its customers. More than 16,000 customers have joined the case ahead of a March deadline to sign up to the action, according to PGMBM, the lead solicitors in the group litigation case.
Moonpig, which sells greeting cards and gifts online, has confirmed it is planning a £1bn listing on the London stock exchange.