Spread Trading Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 dropped 0.5% or 26.0 points to 5,331.6.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index rose 0.3% to 971.9.
• DJIA rose marginally to close at 11,410.2. NASDAQ shed 0.5% or 12.0 points to settle at 2,511.5. S&P 500 added 0.1% or 1.1 points to 1,193.9.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 0.5% lower, at 9,008.4.
• In Asia, crude oil for September delivery is trading 18 cents lower at $87.40 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.1% lower against the USD at $1.6522, 0.1% higher against the EUR at €1.1473 and 0.1% lower against the JPY at ¥126.58.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread trading on indices.

Spread Trading UK Markets

• UK markets closed lower yesterday, with the FTSE 100 index ending its four-day winning streak, as a summit between the leaders of Germany and France failed to quell worries over Eurozone debt crisis.
• Banks, Barclays, HSBC and Lloyds Banking Group, lost between 1.3% and 4.2%, as risk aversion increased among investors.
• Insurers, Standard Life and Prudential declined 5.1% and 2.4%, respectively, after going ex-dividend.
• Financial services stocks, ICAP and Tullett Prebon, dropped 3.7% and 4.2%, respectively, after German and French officials proposed a new tax on financial transactions.
• Pearson, Hammerson and British American Tobacco, fell between 1.6% and 2.5%, losing their payout attractions.
• FTSE 100 fell 0.5% to 5,331.6. FTSE 250 fell 0.4% to 10,369.4.
• Standard Life, Pearson and Prudential, declined between 2.4% and 5.1%, after going ex-dividend.
• Fresnillo climbed 5.6%, as silver for September delivery added 1.3% to $40.35 per ounce.
• Miners, Eurasian Natural Resources, Antofagasta and Kazakhmys, advanced between 1.5% and 3.7%, as copper for September delivery rose 1% to $4.03 per pound.
• Unilever gained 1.8%, amid hopes that it would win promotion to the Stoxx 50 index as part of an annual review due on August 31.
• For more on trading UK shares see spread trading on UK shares.

Forex Spread Trading Markets

• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.1% lower against the USD at $1.6522, 0.1% higher against the EUR at €1.1473 and 0.1% lower against the JPY at ¥126.58.
• The EUR is trading 0.2% lower against the USD at $1.4398.
• The EUR / JPY is trading 0.2% lower at ¥110.32, as most Asian equity markets traded lower, decreasing the demand for high yielding assets.
• Yesterday, the GBP ended higher against the USD, after the Bank of England minutes from a policy meeting showed that officials unanimously supported for keeping interest rate at a record low.
• The USD ended lower against the major currencies, as uncertainties surrounding the US economy dampened demand for the dollar.
• The AUD rose to the highest level in almost two weeks against the USD, as higher commodity prices increased the demand for the commodity linked currency.
• The CHF ended higher against the USD, after the Swiss National Bank refrained from pegging the currency to the euro. Finance Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf stated that any decision to introduce a target for the currency is up to the Swiss National Bank.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread trading.

Commodities Spread Trading Markets

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading 0.2% higher today, at $1,791.22 per ounce.
• Gold prices for December delivery gained 0.5% or $8.80 to $1,793.80 per ounce yesterday, as lingering worries over Eurozone debt crisis and weak prospects for global growth forced investors to purchase the precious metal as a safe haven asset.
• In Asia, crude oil for September delivery is trading 18 cents lower at $87.40 per barrel.
• Yesterday, crude oil for September delivery closed 1.1% or 93 cents higher at $87.58 per barrel, as the dollar fell against the euro, increasing the demand for the commodities as an alternative investment.
• Gains for crude oil were limited after US Energy Department reported that US crude oil inventories increased 4.23 million barrels to 354 million in the last week ended 12 August.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread trading.