The London Stock Exchange has ended the year trailing rival markets in Europe and the US, as a stagnating economy and a volatile political climate deterred investment and cast a shadow over the nation’s economic prospects. The FTSE 100 index of blue-chip companies reached 7,733 points on Friday, the final trading day of the year. While a late rally helped the index to its highest closing level since late May, it has gained just under 4% since January, compared with a global average of 20%, as measured by the MSCI All Country World Index. As in previous years, the FTSE 100’s lack of technology companies left it floundering against…
