Spread Betting Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 surged 2.1% or 110.5 points to close at 5,337.5.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index advanced 2.1% or 18.9 points to 932.2.
• DJIA rose 1.7% or 186.5 points to close at 11,433.2. NASDAQ climbed 1.3% or 34.5 points to settle at 2,607.1. S&P 500 gained 1.7% or 20.4 points to end at 1,209.1.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 2.1% higher, at 8,852.4.
• In Asia, crude oil for October delivery is trading 0.4% higher at $89.8 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading marginally higher against the USD at $1.5799, trading 0.2% higher against the EUR at €1.1402, and 0.1% higher against the JPY at ¥121.31.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

UK Spread Betting Markets

• UK markets extended their gains for the third consecutive day, bolstered by banking sector stocks, after the European Central Bank announced the infusion of dollar liquidity in the region.
• Among financial stocks, Lloyds Banking Group, the top gainer on the FTSE 100 index, surged 7.2%, while HSBC Holdings, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland gained between 3.9% and 4.0%, as worries over the banking sector eased. Additionally, a bullish note on the banking sector by Nomura helped in the surge.
• Retailers, Kingfisher and Burberry rallied 4.8% and 6.6%, respectively, as the former reported a 28% increase in first-half net profit. The latter received a boost following news that China might cut taxes on the luxury-goods sector by year end.
• Engineering group, GKN rose 6.1%, after Evolution Securities reiterated its “Buy” rating on the stock.
• FTSE 100 surged 2.1% to 5,337.5, while FTSE 250 soared 2.1% to 10,324.1.
• Lloyds rallied 7.2%, after ECB announced to lend US dollars to euro-area banks, in coordination with the Federal Reserve, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan and the Swiss National Bank.
• Burberry Group soared 6.6%, after the National Business Daily reported that China might cut luxury-goods taxes by the end of the year.
• GKN surged 6.1%, after Evolution Securities reiterated its “Buy” rating on the stock.
• Kingfisher rallied 4.8%, after its first-half profit surpassed market expectations.
• Precious metal stocks, Randgold Resource and Fresnillo, declined 3.0% and 1.0%, respectively, in line with lower gold and silver prices.
• For more on trading UK shares see spread betting on UK shares.

Forex Spread Betting Markets

• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading marginally higher against the USD at $1.5799, trading 0.2% higher against the EUR at €1.1402, and 0.1% higher against the JPY at ¥121.31.
• The EUR is trading 0.2% lower against the USD at $1.3857.
• The EUR / JPY is trading 0.1% lower against the JPY at ¥105.35.
• The USD is trading higher against the most of the major currencies, amid speculation that consumer confidence in the US might rebound from its lowest level in more than two years, shrugging off fears that the US economy was slowing down.
• The AUD traded lower against the JPY, amid speculation that policy makers would cut interest rates this year, ahead of the release of the Australian Reserve Bank’s minutes next week.
• The NZD traded lower against the JPY, following a private report that showed consumer confidence data in New Zealand declined in September, and as the Reserve Bank of New Zealand left interest rates at a record low yesterday.
• Yesterday, the EUR ended higher against the USD, after the European Central Bank announced to provide dollar loans to Eurozone banks, easing concerns about credit crunch in the region.
• The CAD closed higher against the USD, on hopes that global economy would recover, after announcement from ECB.
• The USD appreciated against the JPY, as Asian equity markets closed higher, curbing demand for safer assets.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread betting.

Commodities Spread Betting Markets

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading 1.2% lower today, at $1,765.24 per ounce.
• Gold for December delivery fell 2.5% or $45.10 to end at $1,781.40 per ounce yesterday. This came as demand for the safe haven asset waned amid speculation that the global economy is recovering, following report that US industrial output had risen in August.
• Gold prices slumped as European leaders agreed to keep Greece as a member in the Eurozone, and after ECB announced measures to boost US dollar liquidity in the Eurozone.
• In Asia, crude oil for October delivery is trading 0.4% higher at $89.8 per barrel.
• Yesterday, crude oil for October delivery added 0.6% or $0.49 to settle at $89.40 per barrel. This came after the ECB announced to provide US dollar loans to banks in coordination with the US Federal Reserve, the Bank of England, Bank of Japan, and the Swiss National Bank, to avoid liquidity crunch in the Eurozone.
• Crude oil gained value amid expectation of increase in energy demand, after US industrial output rose 0.2% in August.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.