Spread Betting Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 slumped 1.4% or 76.4 points to close at 5,217.6.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index fell 1.2% or 11.1 points to end at 927.3.
• DJIA lost 1.6% or 179.8 points to close at 11,010.9. NASDAQ shed 2.2% or 55.3 points to settle at 2,491.6. S&P 500 fell 2.1% or 24.3 points to end at 1,151.1.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 0.2% higher, at 8,630.1.
• In Asia, crude oil for November delivery is trading marginally higher at $81.22 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.3% higher against the USD at $1.5599, 0.1% lower against the EUR at €1.1492, and 0.3% higher against the JPY at ¥119.40.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

Shares Trading UK News

• UK markets snapped their winning streak and closed lower yesterday, amid reports of disagreement between Eurozone members over the bail-out proposal, and ahead of crucial vote in Germany on expansion of the rescue fund for Greece.
• Man Group, the top laggard on the FTSE 100 index, plunged 24.9%, after it reported a sharp decline in its AUM over the second quarter.
• Banks, Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking and Royal Bank of Scotland, declined between 1.2% and 3.6%, as risk aversion rose.
• Cairn Energy slid 6.5%, after it reported a disappointing drilling result in Greenland.
• Miners, Anglo American, Vedanta Resources and Antofagasta, shed between 3.5% and 5.9%, as base metal prices fell.
• FTSE 100 slumped 1.4% or 76.4 points to close at 5,217.6. FTSE 250 slipped 0.9% or 88.5 points to settle at 10,038.7.
• BG Group rose 3.4%, after Goldman Sachs added the stock to its “Conviction Buy” list.
• Smith Group added 2.2%, after the company announced that its annual profit held steady, as its cost-cutting programs helped offset “constrained” markets.
• Man Group slumped 24.9%, after the company announced that its assets under management would decline by $6.0 billion.
• Energy stocks, Cairn Energy and Petrofac, tumbled 6.5% and 5.7% respectively, following a fall in crude oil prices.
• Miners, Antofagasta and Rio Tinto, sank 6.0% and 4.4% respectively, as base metal prices declined. Antofagasta also paced decline, after Goldman Sachs cut the stock to “Neutral”, citing valuation concerns.
• Fresnillo plummeted 5.7%, in line with a fall in silver prices.
• Glencore International slid 4.9%, tracking a fall in crude oil prices.
• 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% higher against the USD at $1.5599, 0.1% lower against the EUR at €1.1492, and 0.3% higher against the JPY at ¥119.40.
• The EUR is trading 0.4% higher against the USD at $1.3574. The currency is trading 0.3% higher against the JPY at ¥103.90.
• The EUR is trading higher against the USD and JPY, ahead of German lawmakers’ vote on changes to a European bailout fund, on optimism that German Chancellor Angela Merkel would gather enough support from policy-makers on the European Financial Stability Facility.
• Yesterday, the EUR ended lower against the USD and JPY, amid fears that European policy makers would fail to agree on a plan to prevent the spreading of the Eurozone debt crisis to other European countries, damping the demand for high yielding assets.
• The CAD closed lower against the USD, on concern that the European debt crisis would hamper global economic growth and would have effect on country’s export revenue.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread betting.

Commodities Spread Betting Markets

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading 1.3% higher today, at $1,609.1 per ounce.
• Gold for December delivery declined 2.1% or $34.40 to settle at $1,618.10 per ounce yesterday, as investors took advantage of previous session gains and preferred to book profits.
• Gold paced declines as the dollar rose against the major currencies, decreasing the demand for the precious metal as a hedge against inflation.
• In Asia, crude oil for November delivery is trading marginally higher at $81.22 per barrel.
• Yesterday, crude for November delivery dropped 3.8% or $3.24 to end at $81.21 per barrel, after the EIA report showed that the US commercial crude oil inventories increased by 1.9 million barrels during the week ended 23 September. This also came amid concerns that a slowdown in global economy would curb future energy demand.
• The crude oil price came under pressure, as the rise in dollar decreased the demand for the commodities as an alternative investment.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.