Britain’s blue-chip share index has suffered its worst year since the 2008 financial crisis, as the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit uncertainty hit stocks during a turbulent 12 months for investors.
The FTSE 100 index of top shares listed in London fell by 14.3% during 2020, the poorest performance of any major international stock index, and its biggest decline since 2008.
The pound, though, rallied to its highest level against the US dollar in more than two and a half years, amid relief that the UK-EU free trade deal had been agreed.
Having started the year at 7,542 points, the Footsie closed on New Year’s Eve at 6,460 points. Fresh worries over the latest UK’s Covid-19 restrictions helped to drag the market down by almost 1.5% on the final trading session of the year.
