London remains upbeat while weaker than expected US jobs growth weighs on

Good afternoon, this is the market wrap, you’re with me Katie Pilbeam. The FTSE remains in positive territory as we enter to latter part of this Friday afternoon here in the capital. Loitering around the 7,120 mark.

All eyes are now focused on the US markets after April’s US jobs growth proved much weaker than expected. Employers added just 266,000 jobs last month, while unemployment rose to 6.1%. Reuters had predicted that April US non-farm payrolls (NFP) would increase by 978,000 jobs after rising by 916,000 in March.

As a consequence tech stocks are now leading over on Wallstreet – with the jobs figure now easing fears about a spike in inflation and a stimulus cutback.

In London the movers today include Barclays () which is up around 2% after activist investor Sherborne Investors sold its 6.01% holding in the British bank.

News today regarding the Oxford-AstraZeneca () Covid-19 vaccine, people under the age of 40 in the U.K. are to be offered an alternative to the jab, as concerns over links to rare blood clots continue to weigh on its roll out.

For the week ahead, results from BT, Burberry, Disney, Greggs, Morrisons, , Sage and TUI are in the calendar.