Dividend Investments writes: Those that are looking to trade or invest in UK markets will need to contend with the possibility of higher interest rates when structuring your positions. Instruments like the FTSE 100 are highly indicative of corporate earnings performance within the region and these types of assessments are critical given the fact that the region is still sifting through the long-term ramifications of the Brexit event.

Markets as a whole continue to show strength, as global interest rate levels characterize the main themes that are driving sentiment. Even in the UK, where issues like inflation have tended to be especially problematic in certain eras, consumer price pressures remain subdued and this has allowed the Bank of England to keep its foot off the gas pedal in terms of its stated intentions to normalize monetary policy.

This helps to explain why the FTSE 100 is not widely expected to post declines in 2018, and this is even after the important regional stock benchmark has posted its all-time highest rallies. That said,investors will need to take a firmer assessment of the charts themselves in order to establish price levels at which to build exposure over the next several quarters.

In the chart above, we can see that markets have surged forward to new records, and that very little has been seen in terms of corrective retracements. Currently working as support is the low from September at 7,215 and this is an area that should contain prices over the next few months.

Options strategies from the bullish side can be considered here, and profitability should be driven out of the strengthening business performance improvement strategies that have become a part of the operational facility for many of the region’s largest companies. The next level of resistance to the topside now comes in at 7,562 which is relatively close to the current valuation. A break here will suggest that the longer-term uptrend remains in place and that corrective downside moves are unlikely until we reach the middle portions of next year.

By Dividend Investments

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