Spread Betting Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 slid 1.7% or 98.6 points to 5,674.4.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index lost 1.4% to close at 1,075.7.
• DJIA edged down 0.5% or 59.7 points to settle at 12,050.0. NASDAQ added 0.7% or 17.6 points to close at 2,686.8. S&P 500 lost 0.3% or 3.6 points to 1,283.5.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 0.3% higher, at 9,628.7.
• In Asia, crude oil for August delivery is trading $1.10 higher at $92.12 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading slightly higher against the USD at $1.6025, marginally up against the EUR at €1.1238 and slightly weaker against the JPY at ¥128.95.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

UK Spread Betting Markets

• UK markets dipped sharply yesterday and the FTSE 100 index slipped to a three month low level, as miners, oil producers and media firms suffered a selloff.
• Miners, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Xstrata, lost between 2.5% and 3.6%, as base metal prices slipped.
• Oil producers, Essar Energy, Cairn Energy and Tullow Oil, declined between 3.5% and 4.3%, as oil prices took a hit from International Energy Agency’s decision to release 60 million barrels of oil into world markets in the coming month.
• Media firms, ITV and WPP paced declines, following a sales warning from their peer, Mediaset, the Italian broadcaster.
• Adding to the negative sentiment, US Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben S. Bernanke failed to provide clarity over further stimulus measures and European Central Bank President, Jean-Claude Trichet, warned of risks to banks due to the debt crisis.
• FTSE 100 slid 1.7% or 98.6 points to 5,674.4. FTSE 250 eased 1.6% or 182.4 points to 11,453.7.
• Vedanta Resources tumbled 6.9%, as BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research downgraded the stock to “Underperform” from “Neutral” and slashed its forecast for 2012 earnings per share by 30%, citing a possibility of earnings from the company’s iron ore subsidiary to be sharply below market expectations.
• Royal Bank of Scotland Group and Lloyds Banking Group fell 4.9% and 3.7% respectively, amid reports that the UK government may be giving shares in the part-nationalised banks back to taxpayers.
• Travel oriented stocks, International Consolidated Airlines Group and Carnival, gained 0.8% and 0.7% respectively, amid expectations that a fall in oil price would relieve some pressure on their operating margins.
• For more on trading UK shares see spread betting on UK shares.

Forex Spread Betting Markets

• At 0400 BST today, the GBP / USD is trading slightly higher at $1.6025, marginally up against the EUR at €1.1238 and slightly weaker against the JPY at ¥128.95.
• The EUR is trading marginally lower against the USD at $1.4258, ahead of a conclusion of European Union leaders’ meeting in Brussels.
• The EUR is trading 0.1% lower against the JPY at ¥114.74.
• Yesterday, the GBP fell against the USD, after a survey by the Confederation of British Industry revealed a fall in UK retail sales index.
• The EUR dropped against the USD, as demand for riskier assets decreased, following dismal Eurozone and US economic data.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread betting.

Commodities Spread Betting Markets

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading 0.1% higher today, at $1522.05 per ounce.
• Gold prices for August delivery plunged 2.1% or $32.90 to $1,520.50 per ounce yesterday, in line with a broad selloff in commodities.
• In Asia, crude oil for August delivery is trading $1.10 higher at $92.12 per barrel, on concerns that the abrupt release of oil inventories may hamper the capability to respond to future supply disruptions.
• Yesterday, crude oil for August delivery closed 4.6% or $4.39 lower at $91.02 per barrel, amid fears of oversupply, after US and other members of the International Energy Agency pledged to discharge 60 million barrels of oil into world markets in the coming month to make up for the lost production in Libya.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.