Spread Betting Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 advanced 1.2% or 63.0 points to settle at 5,466.4.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index rose 0.9% to 975.5.
• DJIA climbed 1.5% or 166.4 points to close at 11,644.5. NASDAQ jumped 1.8% or 47.6 points to settle at 2,667.9. S&P 500 gained 1.7% or 20.9 points to end at 1,224.6.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 1.6% higher, at 8,891.8.
• In Asia, crude oil for November delivery is trading 27 cents higher at $87.07 per barrel.
• At 4000 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.1% lower against the USD at $1.5806, 0.1% higher against the EUR at €1.1411 and 0.1% lower against the JPY at ¥122.09.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

UK Spread Betting Markets

• UK markets advanced on Friday, amid news that IMF members debated over strengthening its capital reserves to help contain Europe’s debt crisis.
• Additionally, markets also received boost as China’s inflation eased from its three-year high in September.
• Precious metal miner, Fresnillo climbed 1.9%, as silver prices rose. Among other mining stocks, Vedanta Resources, Kazakhmys, Antofagasta climbed between 1.2% and 3.7%, as base metal prices gained.
• BHP Billiton rose 1.9%, amid reports that it made a bid for Australian coal producer, Walter Energy.
• Energy stocks, Cairn Energy, BP and Tullow Oil, rallied between 2.5% and 4.7%, tracking a rise in oil prices.
• Among fund managers, Man Group, the top gainer on the FTSE 100 index, rallied 5.1%, while Ashmore climbed 3.1%, helped by bargain hunting.
• FTSE 100 advanced 1.2% to 5,466.4. FTSE 250 rose1.1% to close at 10,338.5.
• Tullow Oil, Petrofac and Essar Energy advanced between 3.5% and 4.7%, as crude oil for November delivery rose 3.1% to $86.80 per barrel.
• Miners, Antofagasta and Xstrata gained 3.7% and 3.1%, respectively, as copper for December delivery added 10 cents to $3.41 per pound.
• Glencore International lost 3.0%, amid speculation that Goldman Sachs was undertaking a secondary placing of a $175 million convertible bond for the company.
• Severn Trent declined 1.3%, as HSBC downgraded the stock to “Underweight” from “Neutral” on valuation grounds.
• Kingfisher dropped 1.1% as Oriel Securities downgraded the stock to “Reduce” from “Hold”.
• For more on trading UK shares see spread betting on UK shares.

FX Spread Betting Markets

• At 4000 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.1% lower against the USD at $1.5806, 0.1% higher against the EUR at €1.1411 and 0.1% lower against the JPY at ¥122.09.
• The EUR is trading 0.2% lower against the USD at $1.3853, amid speculation that European leaders would struggle to meet a deadline for this month on a plan to tackle the Eurozone debt crisis.
• The EUR is trading 0.2% lower against the JPY at ¥107.00.
• The AUD is trading lower against the USD, ahead of the release of minutes of the Reserve Bank of Australia meeting held on 4 October when Governor Glenn Stevens left the nation’s benchmark rate unchanged at 4.75% and signalled there is more scope to cut interest rates if necessary.
• On Friday, the EUR ended higher against the USD and the JPY, amid optimism that Eurozone debt crisis would be restricted, as group of 20 finance ministers met to confront the region’s turmoil.
• 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 $1,682.13 per ounce.
• Gold prices for December delivery added 0.9% or $14.50 to $1,683 per ounce on Friday, as the dollar weakened against the major currencies, increasing the demand for the precious metal as a hedge against inflation.
• Gold prices also rose, amid hopes that the recent session fall in gold prices and upcoming festival season would spur investment in the precious metal.
• In Asia, crude oil for November delivery is trading 27 cents higher at $87.07 per barrel.
• On Friday, crude oil for November delivery closed 3.1% or $2.57 higher at $86.80 per barrel, amid expectation of increase in energy demand, following robust US retail sales that points to sign of economic recovery.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.