Spread Trading Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 dropped 1.2% or 73.2 points to 5,856.6.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index lost 1.1% to 1,088.7.
• DJIA fell 1.6% or 198.8 points to 12,302.5. NASDAQ slid 2.7% or 75.2 points to close at 2,764.8. S&P 500 dropped 2.0% or 27.1 points to 1,304.9.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 1.2% lower, at 9,929.6.
• In Asia, crude oil for September delivery is trading 26 cents lower at $97.14 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP / USD rate is trading marginally higher at $1.6330, 0.1%, with the GBP also up against the EUR at €1.1379 and 0.1% lower against the JPY at ¥127.063.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

Spread Trading UK Markets

• UK markets closed lower yesterday, as lingering worries over US and Eurozone debt crisis sparked a broad sell-off in the financial sector.
• Banks, Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC, dipped between 1.6% and 4.3%, as risk aversion increased among investors.
• The banking sector paced declines, after Goldman Sachs took a negative stance on the sector and following disappointing results from Spain’s Banco Santander.
• Insurers, Aviva, Standard Life and Resolution, dropped between 0.8% and 3.1%, in line with a fall in equity markets.
• Oil producers, Petrofac, Cairn Energy and BP, lost between 0.7% and 3.1%, as crude oil prices fell.
• Miners, Vedanta Resources, Antofagasta and BHP Billiton, declined between 0.2% and 1.8%, tracking lower base metal prices.
• FTSE 100 dropped 1.2% or 73.2 points to 5,856.6. FTSE 250 fell 1.2% or 138.6 points to 11,650.3.
• Scottish & Southern Energy and Investec lost 5.3% and 3.1% respectively, after going ex-dividend.
• Petrofac declined 3.1%, as crude oil for September delivery lost 2.2% to $98.24 per barrel.
• Autonomy climbed 3.9%, after the company reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings.
• Sage Group gained 1.6%, after the company issued a trading update which matched expectations.
• ITV advanced 1.3%, as the company reported a 45% rise in its first-half earnings and resumed its payment of dividends.
• Lonmin rose 1.3% after Credit Suisse upgraded the stock to “Neutral” from “Underperform” on valuation grounds.
• For more on trading UK shares see spread betting on UK shares.

Forex Spread Trading Markets

• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading marginally higher against the USD at $1.6330, 0.1% up against the EUR at €1.1379 and 0.1% lower against the JPY at ¥127.063.
• The EUR / USD is trading 0.1% lower at $1.4350, on speculation that Eurozone sovereign-debt crisis would spread further.
• The EUR is trading 0.2% lower against the JPY at ¥111.66, as most Asian equity markets traded lower, decreasing the demand for high yielding assets.
• The JPY is trading higher against the most of currencies, as ongoing concerns over Eurozone and US debt crisis spurred demand for safer haven assets.
• Yesterday, the EUR ended lower against the USD, after Standard & Poor’s lowered Greece's credit rating from “CCC” to “CC” and stated that Greece would partially default on its debt once European officials push through a second bailout for the nation.
• Brazil’s Real ended lower against the USD, after the government stated that it would levy a tax on some investments in foreign-exchange derivatives, the latest step in a bid to stem the currency’s rally.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread betting.

Commodities Spread Trading Markets

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading marginally lower today, at $1,613.01 per ounce.
• Gold prices for August delivery fell 0.1% or $1.70 to $1,615.10 per ounce yesterday, as investor decided to book profits following some recent gains.
• Losses for gold were limited as persisting worries over US debt ceiling and dismal US durable goods data kept investors’ interest in the precious metal as a safe haven asset.
• In Asia, crude oil for September delivery is trading 26 cents lower at $97.14 per barrel.
• Yesterday, crude oil for September delivery closed 2.2% or $2.19 lower at $97.40 per barrel, after the US Energy Department stated that oil stockpiles rose by 2.3 million barrels to 354 million barrels during the week ended 22 July.
• Oil prices fell as signs of a slowing economy in the US indicated decrease in future oil demand.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.