The timing of an announcement remains unclear, however, with Reuters at midday London time citing an EU and a U.K. official saying the deal could still be hours away. Press conferences slated for early Thursday were delayed as both sides finalized the small text of an agreement on fishing rights, Coveney said.
The British currency continued its move higher Thursday to trade close to levels not seen for 31 months. Sterling rose 0.8% to around $1.3593, after earlier reaching a session high of $1.3616.
The FTSE 100 rose 0.5% when markets opened, but slipped into the red as the morning progressed.
Officials on both sides said Wednesday they were optimistic about the chances of a deal, but that issues remained. It came after EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said Tuesday that the bloc was making a final push to strike a Brexit trade deal with Britain ahead of Dec. 31.
Brexit is finally done It will leave the UK poorer
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Post-Brexit Trade Deal: 5 Takeaways
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Post-Brexit Trade Deal: 5 Takeaways - The New York Times
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