Finance
UK stocks slip as Trump reignites tariff worries
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 23, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 23, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
UK stocks fell as Trump proposed EU tariffs, overshadowing positive UK data. FTSE 100 slipped 0.2%, while AJ Bell gained 8.4% on the FTSE 250.
(Reuters) -British equities slipped on Friday, as renewed trade tensions after U.S. President Donald Trump recommended a 50% tariff on goods from the European Union overshadowed positive UK economic data.
Sterling traded at its highest in over three years, adding pressure to the UK's export-heavy benchmark share index.
The FTSE 100 slipped 0.2%, though it notched a second weekly gain.
However, the blue-chip index fell less sharply than its European peers as Britain is no longer an EU member following the Brexit referendum in 2016 and the country also clinched a limited bilateral trade deal with the United States earlier this month.
The domestically-focussed midcap index fell 0.4%, posting its first weekly decline in seven weeks.
Stocks came under pressure earlier this week as concerns over rising debt in the United States and a higher-than-expected UK government budget deficit dampened investor sentiment.
The benchmark 10-year gilt yield eased on Friday along with its U.S. counterpart after surging earlier this week as the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed a sweeping tax and spending bill.
On the day, data showed sunny weather boosted British retail sales in April and households grew cheerier this month.
However, UK retailers faced a double-digit rate increase at the July insurance policy renewals after recent cyberattacks, with Marks and Spencer's insurers expected to take a full loss on its 100 million pound ($133.6 million) tower.
Shares of the retailer fell 2.3%.
Games Workshop slipped 2.8% after Peel Hunt downgraded the miniature war-games maker, saying it expects U.S. tariffs to cost around 10 million pounds.
Keeping losses in check, the previous miners index gained 3.5%, tracking higher gold prices. [GOL/]
Investment platform, AJ Bell was the top gainer on the FTSE 250 index, up 8.4%, after posting a 12% year-on-year rise in half-yearly profit on increased client activity.
(Reporting by Sanchayaita Roy, Twesha Dikshit and Ragini Mathur; Editing by Leroy Leo and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
UK stocks slipped due to renewed trade tensions after U.S. President Donald Trump recommended a 50% tariff on goods from the European Union.
The FTSE 100 slipped 0.2%, although it achieved a second weekly gain, indicating some resilience despite the tariff concerns.
Games Workshop's shares fell 2.8% after a downgrade, with expectations that U.S. tariffs could cost the company around 10 million pounds.
Data indicated that sunny weather boosted British retail sales in April, contributing to a more positive outlook among households.
UK retailers faced a double-digit rate increase at the July insurance policy renewals due to recent cyberattacks, impacting their financial outlook.
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