At the end of April, global markets closed largely in positive territory. Although inflation remains a concern, stock markets closed higher as investors considered fresh economic data and a raft of corporate earnings.
In the UK, the FTSE 100 ended the month on firmer ground, supported by gains in energy stocks. The blue chip index closed the month on 7,870.57, a gain of 3.13%, while the mid cap FTSE 250 closed up 2.62% on 19,425.14, and the FTSE AIM closed April on 829.94, a monthly gain of 2.55%.
Despite weak economic growth in Q1, some positive earnings landed stateside, boosted by some strong results from banks and tech firms. In the US, the Dow Jones index closed the month up 2.48% on 34,098.16, while the NASDAQ closed the month up
0.04% on 12,226.58.
On the continent, the Euro Stoxx 50 closed April on 4,359.31, a gain of 1.03%.
In Japan, markets traded higher after the Bank of Japan retained its monetary policy. The Nikkei 225 closed the month up 2.91%, on 28,856.44.
On the foreign exchanges, the euro closed the month at €1.14 against sterling. The US dollar closed at $1.25 against sterling and at $1.10 against the euro.