It’s been a quiet day for the London index as the market eases into another long weekend.

Looking at the photos, it’s hard to believe that there are many City traders amongst the crowds already lining the streets outside Westminster Abbey, but judging by the market’s performance today, it seems clear that few are at their desks. Rather than cheering last night’s gains from Wall Street, we’ve had a relatively relaxed unwinding into the second successive long weekend and underlying volumes on the FTSE 100 can perhaps best be described as being through the floor. We saw some late buying once US markets had reopened, but this is looking short-lived. With London set to be shut for two days when both Frankfurt and New York are in full swing, it’s perhaps no surprise that many are
 simply seeking to take money off the table and batten down the hatches in the short-term.

Next week, as markets regain their usual momentum, we’re set to see the agenda being dominated by earnings news from a number of the UK banks, along with the US non-farm payrolls on Friday. The Fed’s ongoing commitment to stimulating the US economy should have positive implications across the globe, although it’s also worth bearing in mind that as the quarterly earnings season winds down, markets may once again struggle to find the legs to extend the recent rally, especially if key economic readings keep failing to make a real impression.