Financial Spread Betting Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 gained 0.6% or 37.5 points to close at 5,906.4.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index gained 0.7% to 1,099.1.
• DJIA edged up 0.4% or 44.7 points to settle at 12,491.6. NASDAQ advanced 0.5% or 15.0 points to close at 2,796.9. S&P 500 gained 0.3% or 4.1 points to 1,317.7.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 0.6% lower, at 9,899.4.
• In Asia, crude oil for August delivery is trading 16 cents lower at $97.89 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.2% lower against the USD at $1.6144, 0.1% higher against the EUR at €1.1351 and 0.6% lower against the JPY at ¥126.93.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

UK Financial Spread Betting Markets

• UK markets closed higher yesterday, with the FTSE 100 index ending its three day losing streak, as strong Chinese economic data and comments from US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke boosted market sentiments.
• Miners, Kazakhmys, ENRC and Vedanta Resources, gained between 1.2% and 4.0%, in line with a rise in base metal prices.
• Precious metal miners, Fresnillo, Randgold resources and Lonmin, climbed between 1.5% and 5.6%, tracking higher silver, gold and platinum prices.
• Oil producers, BG Group, Royal Dutch Shell and BP, also paced gains, as crude oil prices rose.
• Among fashion retailers, Burberry advanced 6.5%, after the company reported that its first quarter sales beat market expectations, while Supergroup surged 21.0%, after the company reported an 89% jump in underlying pre-tax profit for the fiscal year.
• FTSE 100 gained 0.6% to 5,906.4. FTSE 250 rose 0.6% to 11,843.2.
• Burberry jumped 6.5%, after the company reported that its underlying sales soared 34% in the first quarter and raised expectations for its wholesale operations, helped by overseas demand and travel retail.
• Fresnillo climbed 5.6%, as silver for September delivery gained 7.1% to $38.15 per ounce.
• Randgold Resources advanced 4.3%, as gold for August delivery added 1.5% to $1,585.50 per ounce.
• Miners, Kazakhmys, Antofagasta and Xstrata, gained between 2.6% and 4.0%, tracking higher base metal prices.
• Marks & Spencer dropped 2.5%, after the company reported its trading update.
• Associated British Foods lost 1.2%, ahead of its trading updates.
• For more on trading UK shares see spread betting on UK shares.

Forex Financial Spread Betting Market Review

• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.2% lower against the USD at $1.6144, 0.1% higher against the EUR at €1.1351 and 0.6% lower against the JPY at ¥126.93.
• The EUR is trading 0.3% lower against the USD at $1.4223.
• The EUR is trading 0.6% lower against the JPY at ¥111.82, as most Asian equity markets traded lower, decreasing the demand for high yielding assets.
• The NZD / USD is trading higher after a government report showed that the New Zealand’s economy expanded 0.8% in the three months ended March 31 from the previous quarter, signalling the nation is recovering from a deadly earthquake in February.
• The AUD is trading lower against the JPY, as National Australia Bank Ltd reported that Australian home prices would fall 2% in the second quarter.
• Yesterday, the GBP ended lower against the EUR, after the Office for National Statistics revealed that jobless claims in UK rose by 24,500 in June, the biggest increase since May 2009.
• The USD ended lower against most of the major currencies, after Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben S. Bernanke told that the central bank is prepared to take additional action, including buying more government bonds, if the economy appears to be in danger of stalling.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread betting.

Commodities Financial Spread Betting Markets

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading 0.1% higher today, at $1,585.65 per ounce.
• Gold prices for August delivery added 1.5% or $23.20 to $1,585.50 per ounce yesterday, as mounting concerns that Eurozone debt crisis would spread beyond Greece forced investors to purchase the precious metal as a safe haven asset.
• In Asia, crude oil for August delivery is trading 16 cents lower at $97.89 per barrel.
• Yesterday, crude oil for August delivery closed 0.6% or 62 cents higher at $98.05 per barrel, after US Energy Information Administration reported that crude-oil supplies decreased by 3.1 million barrels for the week ended July 8, far more than an expected decline of 2.1 million barrels.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.