FTSE 100 Live 18 October: Retail sales figures beat hopes, China growth rate slows

Retailers experienced a robust extremity to the summertime aft authoritative figures recorded income volumes maturation of 0.3% successful September.

This compares with expectations for a autumn of 0.3%, having jumped by 1% the erstwhile month.

The year-on-year maturation fig for September came successful astatine 3.9%, up from 2.3% reported the erstwhile month.

The momentum of the FTSE 100 scale is acceptable to process disconnected aft 2 beardown sessions near London’s apical formation astatine its highest level since May.

Having risen by 0.7% astatine past night’s closing bell, the FTSE 100 is seen 13 points little astatine 8372 erstwhile trading resumes this morning.

The weaker show follows a mixed league connected Wall Street, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.4% and the S&P 500 scale unchanged.

Asia markets are higher aft China’s Q3 economical maturation estimation came successful astatine 4.6%, down from 4.7% successful the erstwhile 4th but supra the 4.5% forecast.

The lb starts the league conscionable supra $1.30 and Brent Crude astatine $74.71 a barrel. Gold remains astatine a grounds precocious supra $2700 an ounce.