The Trump administration has proposed to slap new export controls on geospatial imagery software, as it rolled out the first in a series of measures to restrict sales of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence products to countries including China.

The US manufacturing sector contracted in December at its quickest pace since the financial crisis, undershooting Wall Street forecasts for a slight improvement in conditions.

Tesla started 2020 on a high note on Friday, as it topped its most recent vehicle delivery forecast for last year and its shares jumped to a new record.

Civil engineering activity has receded at the fastest pace since the financial crisis as political uncertainty weighs on the sector and drags down construction work. 

UK retail chain Next has kicked off the post-Christmas reporting season with an upbeat statement, announcing higher than expected sales and an improvement in its full-year profit forecast.

Apple’s share price crossed the $300 threshold for the first time, as technology names continued to charge ahead on the heels of last year’s rally.

Global stocks rallied on the first trading day of the year with Wall Street closing at a record high after China’s central bank moved to improve economic growth by pumping $115bn into the country’s financial system.

Emerging market stocks were back in a bull market as actions by China’s central bank to support economic growth triggered a broad rally for global equities on the first trading day of 2020.

Travelex sites were down on Thursday after the foreign currency service discovered it had been hit by a software virus.

Sterling has begun the new decade on the back foot as some strategists played down the currency’s 2020 prospects with predictions of some tortuous months of trade negotiations with the EU.

Tullow Oil shares tumbled on Thursday after the FTSE 250 explorer announced drilling results in South America for an offshore oil well that analysts suggest is unlikely to be commercialised.

US stocks rallied in the final moments of the decade to close the day higher, after President Donald Trump indicated earlier that a formal phase one trade agreement with China would be signed in just over two weeks.

The US Federal Reserve succeeded in keeping a lid on short-term borrowing costs on the final day of the year after injecting billions of dollars into the market to ease a possible cash crunch.

Investors’ festive cheer was tempered on the penultimate trading day of 2019 as US and UK stock markets moved lower — though they remained on course for a strong year.

Companies and investors need to step up planning for climate change with many corporate assets at risk of becoming worthless, the outgoing head of the Bank of England has warned.

A forward-looking indicator of US home sales rebounded last month in line with expectations signalling momentum in the residential market is helping support the economy.

The US trade deficit unexpectedly narrowed in November to its smallest since 2016 as it showed a third consecutive monthly contraction, but any boost to growth could be countered by a slowing pace of inventory accumulation.

Financial markets are enjoying some holiday cheer thanks to rising hopes that the global economy has turned a corner, with European equities nudging higher and the US stock market nearing its biggest annual gain in over two decades.

Wall Street hit fresh highs on Thursday over raised hopes that an interim trade deal between Beijing and Washington was still on course to be signed in January.

US stocks traded serenely through a holiday-shortened Christmas Eve session, in contrast to the turmoil one year ago, holding on to gains that have made this the best year for equities since 2013.

Global stocks remained close to record highs as trading dwindled in the run-up to the Christmas holidays and some investors took profits on gains made earlier in the month.

It has been a year full of intense political drama, market highs and corporate intrigue. Team fastFT has enjoyed covering the twists and turns — and we are thankful that you have joined along for the ride.

US stocks capped the week with gains on Friday, as optimism over the economy and trade continued to fuel a record-setting run.

Switzerland’s market regulator, Finma, has appointed an independent investigator to probe multiple allegations of illegal corporate surveillance at Credit Suisse.