Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 30, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 30, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleFTSE 100 nears a record streak, driven by banking stocks. Market reacts to Kevin Warsh's Fed appointment and UK-China relations.
By Tharuniyaa Lakshmi
Jan 30 (Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 rose on Friday, capping its seventh straight month of gains, lifted by a rally in banking stocks and a weaker pound as investors assessed the appointment of Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve.
The blue-chip index closed up 0.5%, marking its longest monthly winning streak in more than 12 years. It also posted weekly gains after logging losses last week.
The domestically focused FTSE 250 was little changed on the day and ended the week lower, but also posted gains for the month.
The pound traded 0.6% lower against the U.S. dollar, offering support to the FTSE 100’s export-orientated companies even as commodity prices slumped.
"The weaker pound is obviously beneficial for the multinationals and it’s interesting because given that the commodities market is actually selling off, you’d normally expect that to weigh quite heavily on the FTSE, but we're still seeing the index hold up,” said Fiona Cincotta, senior market analyst at City Index.
The banking sub-index added 3.5% for the week and 5.3% for the month. It was 1.6% higher on the day, with Lloyds up 3.3%, the strongest performer on the benchmark index.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he had chosen former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh to head the U.S. central bank.
Precious metals miners fell 6% as gold tumbled more than 8% on a firmer dollar following Trump’s announcement. The sub-index is still up 19% this month. [GOL/]
Industrial metal miners declined 2% on the day.
Trump warned it was "dangerous" for Britain to deepen business ties with Beijing, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer lauded the economic benefits of resetting UK-China relations during his visit to the country.
British business confidence weakened in January as global economic optimism slid to a one-year low, though firms grew more upbeat about their own activity and hiring plans, a Lloyds survey showed.
Credit analytics firm Experian climbed 2.3%, among the top gainers on the FTSE 100, after unveiling a new $1 billion share buyback program.
(Reporting by Tharuniyaa Lakshmi in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed, Kirsten Donovan)
The FTSE 100 is a stock market index that represents the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, based on market capitalization.
A share buyback is when a company purchases its own shares from the marketplace, reducing the number of outstanding shares and often increasing the value of remaining shares.
Business confidence refers to the level of optimism or pessimism that business leaders feel about the overall economic environment and their own company's prospects.
The banking sector comprises financial institutions that accept deposits, offer loans, and provide other financial services to individuals and businesses.
Precious metals miners are companies that extract valuable metals such as gold, silver, and platinum from the earth, often used in jewelry and investment.
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