Spread Betting Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 shed 1.4% or 75.3points to settle at 5,288.4.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index declined 1.7% or 16.1 points to 918.1.
• DJIA tumbled 2.5% to close at 11,124.8. NASDAQ plunged 2.0% to settle at 2,538.2. S&P 500 slumped 2.9% to end at 1,166.8.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 2.1% lower, at 8,553.5.
• In Asia, crude oil for October delivery is trading 2.0% or $1.65 lower at $84.27 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.3% lower against the USD at $1.5453, marginally down against the EUR at €1.1413, and 0.1% lower against the JPY at ¥118.692.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

Financial Spread Betting Trading UK News

• UK markets retreated sharply, led by a decline in commodity sector stocks, amid persistent investor worries over the debt situation in Europe.
• Antofagasta, the biggest laggard on the FTSE 100 index, tumbled 6.9%, while Glencore International, BHP Billiton, and Xstrata declined between 3.4% and 3.7%, tracking a sharp dive in base metal prices, amid worries over demand prospects.
• Among the key losers, energy stocks, BP and Cairn Energy lost 2.5%, each, while Royal Dutch Shell and Tullow Oil lost 2.0% and 2.5%, respectively, as crude oil futures fell.
• Inmarsat retreated 2.6%, as Morgan Stanley cut its ratings on the stock to “Underweight” from “Equal Weight”.
• Brewer, SABMiller shed 1.6%, after it agreed to buy Foster’s Group for an increased price of A$9.9 billion.
• The FTSE 100 shed 1.4% or 75.3 points to settle at 5,288.4. The FTSE 250 edged lower 0.4% or 42.6 points to 10,266.0.
• Lloyds soared 5.6%, after the Financial Times reported that the firm was planning sell a portfolio of commercial property loans worth around £1.0 billion.
• RBS gained 1.3%, following report that the bank has received bids for its aircraft- leasing operation from commercial lender CIT Group and Jackson Square Aviation LLC.
• Miners, Antofagasta, Rio Tinto and ENRC, tumbled between 3.4% and 6.9%, tracking lower base metal prices.
• Inmarsat dropped 2.6%, after both Morgan Stanley and Citigroup downgraded the stock, citing valuation concerns.
• For more on trading UK shares see spread betting on UK shares.

Forex Spread Betting Markets

• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.3% lower against the USD at $1.5453, marginally down against the EUR at €1.1413, and 0.1% lower against the JPY at ¥118.692, after Bank of England officials stated that they might need to buy more bonds to keep borrowing costs capped as the recovery falters.
• The GBP also lost value following report that showed consumer confidence dropped to a four-month low in August.
• The EUR is trading 0.3% lower against the USD at $1.3538, after Greek officials stated that three days of meetings with other country officials failed to produce a solution to the country’s debt crisis, mounting concerns about European economy, and forcing investors to invest in safe haven assets.
• The EUR is trading 0.1% lower against the JPY at ¥103.980, as Asian markets traded sharply lower, decreasing the demand for high yielding assets.
• The USD is trading higher against the JPY, after the Federal Reserve lowered only long-term borrowing costs, and amid fears that the Bank of Japan might act to cap gains in the yen.
• Yesterday, the USD closed higher against the EUR, after the Federal Reserve announced that it would swap shorter-term Treasuries for securities with longer maturities, to fasten the US economic growth and to stabilise the housing sector.
• The CAD ended lower against the USD, after the US Federal Reserve cited “significant downside risks” to the economy, decreasing the demand for high yielding assets.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread betting.

Commodities Spread Betting Markets

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading 0.5% higher today, at $1,776.26 per ounce.
• Gold for December delivery declined 0.1% or $1.0 to end at $1,808.10 per ounce yesterday, as the dollar rose against the major currencies, decreasing the demand for the precious metal as a hedge against inflation.
• The yellow metal also paced losses after the Federal Reserve announced a plan to swap shorter-maturity government securities for longer-dated ones to boost the slow-moving US economy.
• In Asia, crude oil for October delivery is trading 2.0% or $1.65 lower at $84.27 per barrel.
• Yesterday, crude oil for November delivery settled 1.2% or $1.0 lower to settle at $85.92 per barrel, amid worries over future energy demand prospects, as the US Federal Reserve stated that there were “significant downside risks” to the US economy, and after Moody’s Investors Service downgraded Wells Fargo to ‘A2’ from ‘A1’ and Bank of America to ‘Baa1’ from ‘A2’.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.