A demonstrator's banner rests on a bench ahead of a speech by Theresa May in Florence, Italy. Markets were in limbo as well with the FTSE 100 trading largely flat Max Rossi/ReutersThe London market struggled for direction earlier amid warnings that stocks would be dragged lower by “increasingly choppy” economic conditions over the coming months. The FTSE 100 gained just 6.3 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 7,270.2 this morning as investors waited for Theresa May to deliver a much-anticipated speech on Brexit in Florence. Reports that the prime minister was preparing to signal a so-called “soft” departure from the European Union lifted the pound. Analysts at JP Morgan Cazenove warned this morning of the “increasingly challenging” outlook for London-listed small and mid-cap companies.

Source: The Times September 22, 2017 11:03 UTC