FTSE 100 Live 5 April: Blue-chips in big fall after US sell-off, Halifax house prices down in March

Stock markets are under pressure after Brent Crude’s rise above $90 a barrel fuelled inflation worries. The selling started on Wall Street last night amid fears that the Federal Reserve will be unable to cut interest rates in the summer. The FTSE 100 index, which had been close to breaking the all-time high set in February 2023, opened 1% lower this morning.