FTSE 100 charges to one-month high and pound slides as UK earnings growth slows

Shares in equipment hire firm Ashtead stormed to a new record high in intraday trading after Bank of America Merrill Lynch said US president Donald Trump’s promised tax reforms could boost earnings significantly. The US investment bank lifted its price target from £16.20 to £20 and raised its earnings per share forecasts 4-6pc. In a meeting with top executives at US retail companies, Trump said he would lower taxes substantially,  echoing a vow he made last Thursday t