1. FTSE 100 closes at its highest ever level
At the finish, the UK blue chip index was up 81.64 points, or 1.0% at 7,901.80 above the old closing high from 22 May 2018, but below the day's new intra-day peak of 7,906.58 which had surpassed the previous intraday peak of 7,903.5 from four and a half year ago.
2. Global food prices fall for the tenth consecutive month
The FFPI has fallen for 10 months in a row and is down 17.9% compared to its March 2022 peak, while supermarket food prices have - apart from a dip in December - continue to rise, with a new record high last month.
3. ChatGPT reaches 100mln monthly active users
“We cannot recall a faster ramp in a consumer internet app,” said UBS, who noted that it took TikTok 9 months after its global launch to add 100mln incremental users, while it took Instagram around two and a half years.
4. Apple, Amazon, and Alphabet deliver disappointing results
Three of the world's largest companies falling short of Wall Street estimates confirmed the impact of declining consumer confidence amid a slowing US economy and a global outlook that remains highly uncertain.
5. Bitcoin is consolidating
Proactive's resident crypto expert William Farrington joins London presenter Thomas Warner for this week's Crypto Roundup.