The FTSE 100 has slipped into the red on the final trading day before Christmas, with hopes of a Santa rally fading as the market closed lower.
London’s blue-chip index finished down 18.5 points, or 0.2%, at 9,879, pulling back from Monday’s near-record close. Trading volumes were light ahead of the holiday break, and there was little in the way of fresh catalysts to lift sentiment.
Games Workshop was the biggest faller on the index, down 1.46%, followed closely by Fresnillo, which slipped 1.4%. Both stocks have still delivered strong performances over the year, suggesting some profit-taking rather than a shift in fundamentals.
The more domestically focused FTSE 250 also edged lower, ending the session down 0.16%, underlining ongoing caution around the UK economic outlook despite recent interest rate cuts.
With markets now closed for Christmas, attention will turn to whether late-December optimism can re-emerge when trading resumes — and whether Santa might yet make a delayed appearance in the New Year.
