Spread Trading Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 gained 1.5% or 89.8 points to 5,945.7.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index rose 1.1% to 1,111.0.
• DJIA edged up 1.3 % or 152.9 points to settle at 12,414.3. Nasdaq advanced 1.2% or 33.0 points to close at 2,773.5. S&P 500 gained 1.0% or 13.2 points to 1,320.6.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 0.6% higher, at 9,878.5.
• In Asia, crude oil for August delivery is trading 72 cents lower at $94.70 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.1% higher against the USD at $1.6037, marginally lower against the EUR at € 1.1064 and 0.1% higher against the JPY at ¥129.42.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread trading on indices.

UK Spread Trading Markets

• UK markets closed higher yesterday, with the FTSE 100 index rising for the fifth consecutive session, as upbeat US economic data and news that the Greek parliament passed a second austerity bill to avert debt default boosted market sentiments.
• Banks, Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC, climbed between 1.0% and 9.7%, as risk appetite increased among investors.
• Lloyds Banking Group also paced gains, after the company stated that it would cut jobs to reduce costs.
• Miners, Vedanta Resources, Anglo American and ENRC, gained between 1.5% and 3.1%, in line with a rise in base metal prices.
• Oil producers, BG Group, Royal Dutch Shell and Essar Energy, advanced between 1.4% and 4.7%, as crude oil prices rose.
• FTSE 100 gained 1.5% or 89.8 points to 5,945.7. FTSE 250 added 1.1% or 134.9 points to 11,934.0.
• Lloyds Banking Group rallied 9.7%, after the company announced its plans to shed an additional 15,000 jobs and cut its presence in foreign markets by half.
• BG Group climbed 4.7%, after the company doubled its estimates for reserves and resources in the Santos Basin in Brazil.
• Royal Bank of Scotland advanced 4.6%, helped by news that Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group is in advanced talks to buy an Australia-based infrastructure advisory unit of RBS and its portfolio of public-private project-finance assets.
• Vedanta Resource gained 3.1%, as copper for September delivery rose 1.4% to $4.28 per pound.
• Petrofac dropped 2.0%, amid profit booking, following recent gains.
• Fresnillo lost 0.9% despite a rise in silver prices.
• Centrica fell 0.5%, after MF Global predicted that the company would miss its 2012 profit target because of a weaker market for insurance services.
• For more on trading UK shares see spread trading on UK shares.

Forex Spread Trading Market Review

• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.1% higher against the USD at $1.6037, marginally lower against the EUR at €1.1064 and 0.1% higher against the JPY at ¥129.42.
• The EUR is trading 0.1% higher against the USD at $1.4496, as investors anticipated further interest rate hike from the European Central Bank.
• The EUR / JPY is trading 0.1% higher at ¥116.97, as the demand of the high yielding currencies increased, after most of the Asian stocks traded higher.
• The AUD is trading lower against the USD, after China’s manufacturing index fell, highlighting concerns about Australia’s exports.
• The WON is trading higher against the USD, after South Korea’s inflation accelerated and surpassed the Bank of Korea’s limit for a sixth consecutive month.
• Yesterday, the GBP ended lower against the EUR, as UK consumer confidence index revealed a higher-than-expected drop in June.
• The EUR ended higher against USD, after upbeat US economic data and positive updates on Greece austerity measures decreased concerns of a slowdown in the global economy, raising demand for risky assets.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread trading.

Commodities Spread Trading Markets

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading marginally lower today, at $1,500.72 per ounce.
• Gold prices for August delivery dropped 0.5% or $7.60 to $1,502.80 per ounce yesterday, amid profit booking, following previous session’s gains.
• Upbeat US economy data and positive updates on Greek debt crisis decreased demand for the precious metal as safe haven asset.
• In Asia, crude oil for August delivery is trading 72 cents lower at $94.70 per barrel.
• Yesterday, crude oil for August delivery closed 0.7% or 65 cents higher at $95.42 per barrel, tracking a rise in equity markets, and as the dollar fell against the euro, increasing the demand for the commodities as an alternative investment.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread trading.