Spread Betting Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 added 0.9% or 44.6 points to close at 5,174.3.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index advanced 1.1% or 9.5 points to 900.4.
• DJIA rose 0.4% or 44.7 points to close at 11,105.8. NASDAQ climbed 1.5% or 37.1 points to settle at 2,532.2. S&P 500 gained 0.9% or 10.6 points to end at 1,172.9.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 0.6% lower, at 8,566.5.
• In Asia, crude oil for October delivery is trading 1.1 % higher at $89.20 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.1 % lower against the USD at $1.5763, 0.2% higher against the EUR at €1.1554, and marginally lower against the JPY at ¥122.41.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

UK Spread Betting Markets

• UK markets advanced yesterday, led by gains in banking sector stocks, amid easing worries over the debt issues in Europe.
• Among banking stocks, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland added between 1.3% and 5.3%, tracking a broad rally in European financial sector stocks, after BNP Paribas denied that it was struggling to get dollar based funding.
• Among energy stocks, BP gained 1.7%, in line with a rise in crude oil prices.
• Carnival climbed 2.9%, as Zacks Equity Research reiterated their “Neutral” rating on the stock, while Inmarsat rallied 2.0%, amid rumour of being a takeover target.
• Cairn Energy, the top laggard on the FTSE 100, tumbled 8.2%, after it failed to find oil in its well, off the coast of Greenland.
• FTSE 100 added 0.9% to 5,174.3, while FTSE 250 rose 0.3% to 10,011.0.
• Cairn Energy slumped 8.2%, after failing to discover oil or gas at a second well off the coast of Greenland.
• Fresnillo dropped 3.0%, after Citigroup downgraded stock to “Sell” from “Neutral”.
• Banking stocks, RBS, Lloyds Banking Group and Barclays, added between 4.2% and 5.3%, tracking gains in their European lenders.
• Essar Energy rose 2.7%, tracking a rise in crude oil 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 0.1 % lower against the USD at $1.5763, 0.2% higher against the EUR at €1.1554, and marginally lower against the JPY at ¥122.41.
• The GBP continued to depreciate against the USD, as Bank of England policy maker, Adam Posen, stated yesterday, that the central bank might need to expand its bond-purchase program.
• The EUR is trading 0.3% lower against the USD at $1.3643. The EUR is trading 0.2% lower against the JPY at ¥105.09.
• The EUR traded lower against the USD and JPY, amid fears that Greece’s debt woes would raise borrowing costs for other economies in the region including Spain, ahead of its bonds auction tomorrow.
• The AUD and NZD traded lower against the USD, as lingering economic uncertainties and a fall in Asian equity markets, dampened demand for higher-yielding currencies.
• Yesterday, the GBP closed lower against the USD, after a report showed that house-price expectations index had dropped in August, adding to signs the nation’s economy is losing momentum.
• The USD closed lower against the EUR, as fears about European debt problems eased after German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, confirmed Germany’s commitment to help Greece, increasing demand for high yielding assets.
• The CAD ended higher against the most of its major peers, after the nation’s biggest export, crude oil prices, reached to its highest level in one-month.
• The AUD closed lower against the JPY, after economic data, a day earlier, showed the Australian business confidence slid to the lowest in more than two years.
• The EUR / JPY spread betting market closed lower amid speculation that Greece was nearing default and as Italy’s cost of borrowing at its bond auction rose.
• 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 $1,838.01 per ounce.
• Gold for December delivery added 0.9% or $16.80 to settle at $1,830.10 per ounce yesterday. This came as a drop in dollar against major currencies and continued global economic uncertainties spurred purchases of the yellow metal as an alternative investment.
• In Asia, crude oil for October delivery is trading 1.1 % higher at $89.20 per barrel.
• Yesterday, crude for October delivery advanced 2.3% or $2.02 to $90.21 per barrel, after International Energy Agency trimmed its global oil inventories estimates. They also announced that oil production in Libya would be slow in coming months.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.