More than £80billion was wiped off the value of the London stock market today – taking losses since the start of the war on Iran to over £250billion.
On a brutal day for savers with money tied up in shares through their pensions, ISAs and other investments, the FTSE 100 tumbled more than 300 points or 3 per cent.
That took the blue-chip index briefly back below the 10,000 mark it reached for the first time in early January – less than three weeks after it came within a whisker of hitting 11,000.
The wider FTSE All-share – which includes smaller companies on the London stock market as well as the 100 blue chips – also tumbled 3 per cent.
That wiped £82billion off the value of Britain’s listed companies today – and took losses since war broke out in the Middle East at the end of last month to £252billion.
The losses in London were mirrored across Europe and Asia as stock markets around the world slammed into reverse.
The latest slump came as gas prices jumped 30 per cent and oil raced towards $120 a barrel having been around $70 just three weeks ago before the attack on Iran.
Traders are nursing heavy losses as global stock markets tumble
The surge in oil and gas prices – which is already pushing up the cost of petrol and threatens to send household energy bills soaring – came after Iran threatened ‘full-scale economic war’ and Donald Trump warned he could ‘massively blow up’ the world’s largest natural gas field in Iran.
Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, said financial markets are ‘firmly in the red as investors react to the Middle East conflict intensifying’.
He warned ‘an inflation spike threatens to cause economic damage’ and added: ‘What’s annoying investors is the ongoing uncertainty – it’s impossible to make a call on what will happen next, so markets are taking it one day at a time.’
The stock market slump has left savers nursing heavy losses in their pensions and other investments – with millions of families watching the value of their retirement pots and nest eggs tumble.
Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at Wealth Club, said: ‘Fears of a sustained energy shock have resurfaced after the escalation in the Iran war sent oil and gas prices soaring.
‘The prospect of a longer, more drawn-out conflict is in sharp focus, as both sides ratchet up attacks on energy infrastructure.
‘Downbeat sentiment is spreading fast, with London’s Footsie opening lower as investors assess the repercussions for the global economy.’
Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, said: ‘The oil price remains in the driving seat, adding another spurt in reaction to a fresh bout of targeted attacks in the Middle East and depressing risk sentiment especially across equities.
‘The main unknown and therefore the largest concern for investors has been the duration of the conflict. The longer it progresses, so the chances of higher inflation and crimped economic growth become elevated.
‘At the current time, the conflict appears to be escalating rather than abating, with the rhetoric from both sides threatening further military strikes.’
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