Spread Betting Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 surged 3.7% or 189.1 points to close at 5,291.3.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index added 2.6% or 24.0 points to 940.7.
• DJIA advanced 1.7% or 183.4 points to close at 11,123.3. NASDAQ gained 1.9% or 46.3 points to settle at 2,506.8. S&P 500 rose 1.8% or 20.9 points to end at 1,165.0.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 1.5% higher, at 8,652.5.
• In Asia, crude oil for November delivery is trading 0.3% or $0.23 higher at $82.82 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.2% higher against the USD at $1.5463, 0.1% higher against the EUR at €1.1514, and 0.1% higher against the JPY at ¥118.53.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

UK Spread Betting Markets

• UK markets rallied yesterday, after the Bank of England expanded its bond-purchase plan by £75billion to £275billion. Additionally, better-than-expected US jobless claims data and optimism that European policymakers would contain the region’s debt crisis buoyed market sentiments.
• Standard Chartered led the banking sector higher, gaining 8.8%, while Lloyds Banking, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland rose between 7.8% and 8.7%, on optimism about the quantitative easing measures.
• Insurer, Prudential, the top gainer on the FTSE 100 index, surged 11.7%, amid optimism of a surge in its portfolios.
• Rio Tinto, ENRC and Antofagasta jumped between 7.6% and 10.2%, as base metal prices rose.
• SABMiller surged 7.0%, amid speculation of bid interest from Brazilian company, Anheuser-Busch InBev.
• FTSE 100 surged 3.7% or 189.1 points to 5,291.3, while FTSE 250 rose 3.4% to 9,888.6.
• Insurers, Prudential and Standard Chartered, surged 11.7% and 8.3% respectively, in line with a rise in equity markets.
• IMI surged 11.5%, after the company stated that its current trading has continued in line with comments made in the August interim results.
• Miners, Kazakhmys, ENRC and Antofagasta soared between 8.3% and 10.2%, following higher base metal prices.
• Lloyds Banking Group climbed 8.7%, as risk appetite increased among investors, after the Bank of England expanded its bond-purchase program.
• Xstrata rose 8.3%, after the company announced that it has secured long-term energy supplies for its North-west Queensland operations in Australia.
• Essar Energy rallied 8.2%, tracking higher crude oil prices.
• Admiral Group dropped 0.3%, after Exane BNP Paribas initiated coverage of the insurer with an “Underperform” rating.
• 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 $1.5463, 0.1% higher against the EUR at €1.1514, and 0.1% higher against the JPY at ¥118.53.
• The EUR is trading marginally higher against the USD at $1.3430, on optimism that the quantitative easing measures by ECB for European lenders would help stem the region’s sovereign debt crisis.
• The EUR is trading marginally lower against the JPY at ¥102.95.
• The AUD and NZD are trading steady against the USD and the JPY, ahead of the release of the US Labor Department report on employment data for September.
• Yesterday, the EUR ended higher against the USD and the JPY, amid speculation that a reintroduction of loans to banks by the ECB would help to contain the sovereign debt crisis, increasing demand for the region’s currency.
• The GBP closed lower against its major peers, after the Bank of England announced its bond- purchase program and kept its benchmark interest rate at a record low to help revive the UK’s slowing economy.
• The CHF ended lower against the USD and the JPY, amid speculation the central bank might impose further measures to contain its strength, after a report showed that its foreign-currency holdings increased to a record last month after its decision to cap the currency’s gain.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread betting.

Commodities Spread Betting Markets

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading 0.3% higher today, at $1,657.89 per ounce.
• Gold for December delivery rose 0.7% or $11.60 to settle at $1,653.20 per ounce yesterday. This came as the dollar weakened against the euro, increasing the demand for the precious metal as a hedge against inflation and ahead of US Labor Department’s report on the payrolls and unemployment levels.
• In Asia, crude oil for November delivery is trading 0.3% or $0.23 higher at $82.82 per barrel.
• Yesterday, crude oil for November delivery climbed 3.7% or $2.91 to end at $82.59 per barrel. This as concerns about the Eurozone debt crisis eased, after the ECB and the Bank of England, announced monetary easing measures to stimulate economic growth. Prices also gained on better-than-expected weekly US jobless claims data.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.