Financial Spread Betting Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 gained 1.1% or 63.8 points to 5,853.8.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index gained 1.3% to 1,091.1.
• Dow Jones edged down 0.1% or 15.5 points to 12,571.9. NASDAQ declined 0.4 % or 12.3 points to close at 2,814.2. S&P 500 closed 0.1% lower, at 1,325.8.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 0.3% lower, at 9,979.7.
• In Asia, crude oil for September delivery is trading 26 cents lower at $98.14 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.1% lower against the USD at $1.6148, marginally higher against the EUR at €1.1338 and 0.2% lower against the JPY at ¥127.16.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

UK Financial Spread Betting Markets

• UK markets closed higher yesterday, as optimism over a deal to increase the US debt ceiling and strong corporate earnings boosted market sentiments.
• Banks, Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and Standard Chartered, climbed between 1.1% and 5.2%, as risk appetite increased among investors.
• Miners, ENRC, Xstrata and Kazakhmys, gained between 0.2% and 2.1%, on the back of firmer base metal prices, while BHP Billiton rose 1.7%, after the company reported record production of four commodities.
• Oil producers, BP, Cairn Energy and Royal Dutch Shell - A, advanced between 0.2% and 2.5%, as crude oil price rose.
• Chipmakers, ARM Holdings and Imagination Technologies, surged 4.9% and 10.2% respectively, after strong results from the tech giant Apple, which uses their technology in its gadgets.
• FTSE 100 gained 1.1% to 5,853.8. FTSE 250 added 0.9% to 11,701.5.
• ARM Holdings climbed 4.9%, amid prospects of higher chip sales, after US tech giant, Apple, reported a surge in its earnings, helped by strong sales of its iPhone and iPad products.
• ITV advanced 3.8% as UBS retained its “Buy” recommendation on the company.
• BP gained 2.5%, amid speculation that Anadarko Petroleum would bring forward a settlement with the company over liability for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
• Glencore International lost 1.3%, as Goldman Sachs highlighted difficulties in the company’s possible bid for Xstrata.
• Imperial Tobacco and ICAP declined 1.3% each, after going ex-dividend.
• J Sainsbury fell 0.9%, as Citigroup took a negative stance on the stock.
• For more on trading UK shares see spread betting on UK shares.

Forex Financial Spread Betting Markets

• At 0400 BST today, the GBP / USD is trading 0.1% lower at $1.6148, GBP is also marginally higher against the EUR at €1.1338 and 0.2% lower against the JPY at ¥127.16.
• The EUR is trading 0.1% lower against the USD at $1.4243.
• The EUR is trading 0.2% lower against the JPY at ¥112.16, as most Asian equity markets traded lower, decreasing the demand for high yielding assets.
• The AUD is trading lower against the major currencies, after a report from HSBC Holdings and Markit Economics showed that China’s manufacturing index fell to a reading of 48.9 in July.
• Yesterday, the EUR ended higher against the USD, after a report showed that Germany and France had reached a deal over a Greek aid plan, ahead of a key Eurozone summit in Brussels.
• The JPY ended higher against the USD, after a report showed that Japan swung to a ¥70.737 billion trade surplus in June, beating expectations for another month of trade deficit in the wake of the 11 March earthquake.
• The CAD ended higher against the USD, on speculation that the Canadian central bank would raise its benchmark rate from 1% as soon as September in order to curb the accelerating inflation.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread betting.

Commodities Financial Spread Betting Markets

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading marginally lower today, at $1,601.65 per ounce.
• Gold prices for August delivery fell 0.3% or $4.20 to $1,596.90 per ounce yesterday, as signs of progress on US and Eurozone debt crisis decreased the demand for the precious metal as a safe haven asset.
• In Asia, crude oil for September delivery is trading 26 cents lower at $98.14 per barrel.
• Yesterday, crude oil for September delivery closed 0.6% or 54 cents higher at $98.40 per barrel, while August delivery expired and closed 64 cents higher at $98.14 per barrel. This came after the US Energy Department stated that oil stockpiles fell by 3.73 million barrels to 351.7 million during the week ended 15 July.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.