Spread Betting Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 edged up 0.4% to close at 5,340.4.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index advanced 0.9% or 8.1 points to 939.6.
• Dow Jones shed 1.0% or 119.1 points to close at 11,295.8. NASDAQ slipped 0.8% or 19.8 points to settle at 2,529.1. S&P 500 lost 1.1% or 12.7 points to end at 1,185.9.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 0.1% lower, at 8,788.2.
• In Asia, crude oil for October delivery is trading 0.3 % higher at $89.32 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.2 % higher against the USD at $1.5979, 0.1% lower against the EUR at €1.1471, and marginally higher against the JPY at ¥123.8.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

UK Spread Betting Markets

• UK markets closed higher yesterday, as a rally in retail sector stocks offset Bank of England’s decision to refrain from further quantitative easing and European Central Bank’s forecast of lower growth.
• Glencore International, the top gainer on the FTSE 100, surged 7.6%, as private-equity group First Reserve sold convertible bonds of the company and bought shares.
• Randgold Resources advanced 3.8%, in line with a rise in gold prices.
• Tullow oil rallied 4.8%, amid renewed speculation that China’s Cnooc might bid for the company.
• Food retailer, Morrison Supermarket rallied 4.2%, as it hiked its dividend. Peers, Sainsbury and Tesco added 0.9% and 1.3%, respectively.
• Marks & Spencer gained 2.6%, amid persistent bid rumours.
• FTSE 100 edged up 0.4% to close at 5,340.4, while FTSE 250 added 0.4% to settle at 10,365.1.
• Admiral fell 2.4%, after the Office of Fair Trading launched a probe on the into the country’s rising private motor insurance premiums.
• Schroders declined 2.1%, after Deutsche Bank cut its recommendation on the stock to “Sell” from “Buy”.
• Unilever lost 1.9%, after UBS removed its short-term “Buy” rating on the stock.
• Johnson Matthey dropped 1.3%, after Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock to “Underweight” from Equal-weight”.
• Glencore International soared 7.6%, after First Reserve Corporation sold $800.0 million Glencore convertible bonds to buy ordinary shares of the company.
• Tullow oil rallied 4.8%, amid renewed speculation that China’s Cnooc might bid for the company.
• Vedanta resources rose 4.4%, in line with a rise in base metal prices.
• Precious metal stocks, Randgold resources and Fresnillo, advanced 3.8% and 4.4%, respectively, tracking higher gold and silver prices.
• Morrison climbed 4.2%, after its first-half earnings surpassed market expectations.
• Man Group rose 4.0%, after RBS assigned a “Buy” rating on the stock.
• Marks & Spencer added 2.6%, amid speculation that Apax Partners might bid for the firm.
• For more on trading UK shares see spread betting on UK shares.

Forex Spread Betting Markets

• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.2 % higher against the USD at $1.5979, 0.1% lower against the EUR at €1.1471, and marginally higher against the JPY at ¥123.8.
• The EUR is trading 0.3% higher against the USD at $1.3927 and the EUR / JPY is 0.2% higher at ¥107.91.
• The USD and the JPY fell against most of the major currencies, after US President Barack Obama unveiled proposals to create jobs and strengthen the economy, prompting investors to shift their money into risky assets.
• Yesterday, the EUR ended lower against the USD, after the European Central Bank President, Jean-Claude Trichet, stated that “downside risks” to the region’s economy have intensified, damping the outlook for interest-rate increases..
• The CAD closed against the USD, as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development slashed its US economic growth forecasts.
• The GBP closed higher against the EUR after the Bank of England kept its interest rates unchanged and refrained to increase its asset-purchase program to boost the economy.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread betting.

Commodities Spread Betting Markets

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading 0.1% lower today, at $1,862.39 per ounce.
• Gold for December delivery added 2.2% or $39.90 to settle at $1,857.50 per ounce yesterday. This came after the European Central Bank trimmed its growth forecasts for the Eurozone and as US initial jobless claims rose more-than-forecast, spurring purchase of the precious metal as an alternative investment.
• In Asia, crude oil for October delivery is trading 0.3 % higher at $89.32 per barrel.
• Yesterday, crude oil for October delivery lost 0.3% or $0.29 to end at $89.05 per barrel, amid demand concerns following deteriorating global economic conditions.
• Oil prices lost value after US Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke, did not offer any clear steps to strengthen the economy.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.