FX.co ★ FTSE 100 Edges Lower In Cautious Year-end Trade

In the U.K., stock markets saw a downturn on Monday, as investors approached the year-end with increased caution. The negative sentiment was influenced by a decline in U.S. equities on Friday, marking a challenging start to the upcoming year.

On that day, all three major U.S. indices experienced declines, with the technology-focused Nasdaq Composite dropping nearly 1.5%, disrupting the expected seasonal Santa Claus rally.

Domestically, the FTSE 100 index witnessed a decrease of 28 points, representing a 0.3% fall to a level of 8,122, following a 0.2% increase in its closing value the previous Friday. Shares in the aerospace firm Rolls-Royce Holdings also declined by approximately 1%.

In related news, South Korea's Ministry of Transport announced plans to conduct a thorough inspection of Boeing B737-800 aircraft. This decision follows a significant incident where a flight traveling from Bangkok crash-landed at Muan International Airport in South Korea, resulting in the tragic loss of 179 of the 181 individuals on board.