Global stock indices continue to fall

It follows tariffs being imposed by the US President, Donald Trump

The UK’s top stocks slid further in value on Friday morning after worries over US tariff plans shook the global financial markets.

London’s FTSE 100 Index of companies dropped by 0.68% to 8,416.71 in early trading.

Banking stocks were among the heavier fallers, with Asia-focused firm Standard Chartered dropping by around 4%.

Mining and commodity stocks were also among the fallers, after specific tariffs on metal production, such as aluminium.

Elsewhere in Europe, the French Cac 40 index was 0.68% lower and the German Dax was 0.71% lower.

It came after further declines in the Asian markets after heavy losses across global stock markets on Thursday.

The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong was down 1.5% and Japan’s Nikkei dropped 2.4%, adding to losses in the previous session, as traders continued to digest the impact of US President Donald Trump’s tariff plans.

Meanwhile, the pound took a step back on Friday, dipping by 0.33% to 1.305 against the US dollar, having risen to its highest level since November last year overnight.

It comes after Mr Trump’s “liberation day” announcement on Wednesday, in which he hit countries with a wave of tariffs.

The FTSE 100 fell to its lowest for almost three months in Thursday’s trading after the news that British exports to the US would face a blanket 10% tariff.

Meanwhile, in the US, the Dow Jones and S&P indexes both suffered their worst days since 2020.

It came as analysts at Barclays said there was a “high risk that the US economy enters a recession this year”.

Setting off to attend a golf tournament in Florida on Thursday, Mr Trump told reporters he thought things were going “very well”, adding: “The markets are going to boom.”

Published: 04/04/2025 by Radio NewsHub