The US dollar returned to the upside as geopolitical fears rebounded after US President Trump's address to the nation. The rhetoric fuelled risk aversion and flows toward the dollar while oil prices surged.
The geopolitical backdrop in the Middle East remained tense after renewed threats to Iranian infrastructure from President Donald Trump, although reports of a potential deal could limit the demand for the dollar.
Major indices, including the Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500, and Dow Jones Industrial Average, all recorded gains, with the Nasdaq delivering its strongest weekly performance since November.
The UK has about 1.59GW of currently installed datacentre capacity at just under 190 sites. If we add existing capacity to that which is planned to complete by 2030 and which has planning consent, we get 4.9GW.
High-level diplomatic talks are underway after Donald Trump announced a global tariff increase to 15%, raising fresh uncertainty for British exporters. The UK Government says it is aiming to secure the "strongest possible trading position" for British firms amid what ministers describe as an evolving situation. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said businesses may face short-term uncertainty but insisted Britain expects preferential trade treatment to continue.
The economy continued to grow slowly in the last three months of the year, with the growth rate unchanged from the previous quarter. The often-dominant services sector showed no growth, with the main driver instead coming from manufacturing. Construction, meanwhile, registered its worst performance in more than four years. The rate of growth across 2025 as a whole was up slightly on the previous year, with growth seen in all main sectors.
