Spread Betting Trading Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 dropped 0.2% or 9.8 points to 5,925.3.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index declined 0.4% to 1,104.7.
• DJIA edged down 0.7% or 88.4 points to 12,592.8. NASDAQ declined 0.6% or 16.0 points to close at 2,842.8. S&P 500 closed 0.6% lower, at 1,337.4.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 0.6% higher, at 10,105.6.
• In Asia, crude oil for September delivery is trading 24 cents higher at $99.44 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.3% higher against the USD at $1.6334, 0.3% lower against the EUR at €1.1288 and 0.1% higher against the JPY at ¥127.66.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

Spread Betting Trading UK Markets

• UK markets closed lower yesterday, with the FTSE 100 index ending its four-day winning streak, as Moody’s downgrades of Greek debt rating and a possible debt default by the US dampened market sentiments.
• Banks, Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC, dropped between 0.8% and 4.4%, as risk aversion increased among investors.
• Insurers, Aviva, RSA Insurance and Old Mutual, lost between 0.5% and 3.0%, in line with a fall in equity markets.
• Among other stocks, Dixons Retail slipped 6.1%, after UBS downgraded the stock to “Sell” from “Neutral”, while Halfords Group declined 3.9%, after JPMorgan Chase cut its recommendation on the stock to “Underweight” from “Neutral”.
• Losses for UK stocks were restricted by gains in precious metal miners, drug makers and some oil producers.
• Lloyds Banking Group lost 4.3%, amid fears that lacklustre interest would lead to the delay of its forced auction of more than 600 branches.
• Cairn Energy dropped 1.6%, as crude oil for September delivery fell 0.7% to $99.20 per barrel.
• Fresnillo advanced 2.9%, as silver for September delivery added 0.6% to $40.36 per ounce.
• Weir Group rose 2.6%, after its oil services peers, Baker Hughes and Schlumberger reported strong demand.
• GlaxoSmithKline gained 1.7%, ahead of its second-quarter results.
• Hammerson added 1.1%, after Goldman Sachs added the company to its “Conviction buy” list.
• For more on trading UK shares see spread betting on UK shares.

Forex Spread Betting Trading Markets

• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.3% higher against the USD at $1.6334, 0.3% lower against the EUR at €1.1288 and 0.1% higher against the JPY at ¥127.66.
• The USD is trading 0.7% lower against the EUR at $1.4469, after US President Barack Obama warned that the US debt might do “serious” damage to its economy.
• The EUR is trading 0.5% higher against the JPY at ¥113.08, as most Asian equity markets traded higher, increasing the demand for high yielding assets.
• The WON is trading higher against the USD, as the South Korean Central Bank stated that economic growth would accelerate.
• Yesterday, the USD ended lower against the EUR and JPY, as US lawmakers failed to find consensus on raising the nation’s $14.3 trillion debt ceiling.
• The EUR ended lower against the JPY, after Moody’s Investors Service lowered Greece’s local and foreign-currency bond ratings from “Caa1” to “Ca”.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread betting.

Commodities Spread Betting Trading Markets

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading marginally lower today, at $ 1,613.10 per ounce.
• Gold prices for August delivery gained 0.7% or $10.70 to $1,612.20 per ounce yesterday, as US leaders failed to agree on a plan to increase the debt ceiling. Another credit downgrade for Greece also spurred investment in the precious metal as a safe haven asset.
• In Asia, crude oil for September delivery is trading 24 cents higher at $99.44 per barrel.
• Yesterday, crude oil for September delivery closed 0.7% or 67 cents lower at $99.20 per barrel, amid worries over future oil demand, as a lack of resolution in the US debt ceiling talks raised concerns over the pace of the economic recovery.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.