Spread Betting Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 soared 1.0% to settle at 5,419.6.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index added 2.0% or 18.8 points to settle at 976.3.
• DJIA soared 2.9% to close at 12,103.6. NASDAQ surged 3.2% to settle at 2,603.7. S&P 500 jumped 3.0% to settle at 1,241.3.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 1.4% higher, at 8,454.7.
• In Asia, crude oil for February delivery is trading 0.5% or 52 cents higher at $97.76 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading marginally higher against the USD at $1.5670, 0.2% lower against the EUR at €1.1951, and marginally lower against the JPY at ¥121.95.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

UK Spread Betting Markets

• UK markets closed higher yesterday, after data showed an unexpected rise in UK’s consumer confidence index and Germany’s business confidence. Additionally, positive US housing starts data and upbeat Spanish bond auction boosted market sentiment.
• Power supplier, Aggreko, the top gainer on the FTSE 100 index, jumped 6.6%, as Citigroup and Goldman Sachs reiterated their “Buy” rating on the stock.
• Wolseley gained 3.8%, after a report showed that US housing starts unexpectedly rose in November.
• Smith & Nephew climbed 2.0%, following positive trading update from its US peer Biomet.
• Barclays rallied 3.3%, after Credit Suisse named it as a top pick.
• Royal Bank of Scotland added 1.4%, as it neared completion of a deal to offload its £1.4 billon distressed property loans to private equity group, Blackstone.
• FTSE 100 soared 1.0% to settle at 5,419.6, while FTSE 250 surged 1.2% to close at 9,868.4.
• Aggreko soared 6.6%, after Citigroup and Goldman Sachs reiterated their “Buy” rating on the stock.
• ITV rose 5.3%, amid optimism that the company has secured better-than-expected advertising bookings for early 2012.
• Kazakhmys added 4.2%, in line with a rise in copper prices.
• Wolseley gained 3.8%, after a report showed that US housing starts unexpectedly rose in November.
• Tullow Oil advanced 3.7%, tracking higher crude oil prices.
• AstraZeneca lost 1.5%, after the company stated that its two experimental medicines had disappointing results, leading to a $381.5 million charge in the fourth quarter.
• Carnival eased 0.3%, after the company reported a 13.0% drop in net income in the fourth quarter and trimmed its outlook for the first quarter of next year.
• For more on trading UK shares see spread betting on UK shares.

Forex Spread Betting Markets

• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading marginally higher against the USD at $1.5670, 0.2% lower against the EUR at €1.1951, and marginally lower against the JPY at ¥121.95.
• The EUR is trading 0.2% higher against the USD at $1.3112. The EUR is trading 0.2% higher against the JPY at ¥102.05.
• The GBP is trading lower against the JPY and the EUR, after the GfK’s measure of UK consumer confidence fell to its lowest level in December.
• The EUR is trading higher against most of its major peers, before the European Central Bank’s announces the results of its first tranche of unlimited three-year loans.
• The USD dropped against most of its major peers as speculation that US economic recovery is gathering pace, decreased demand for the currency as a safe haven.
• The JPY is trading flat against the USD, after the Bank of Japan left its asset-purchase program unchanged and stated that the country's economic recovery "has paused".
• On Friday, the EUR closed higher against the USD, after reports showed that US housing starts jumped in November, Germany’s business confidence improved in December and Spain’s borrowing costs dropped, increasing the demand for riskier assets.
• The CAD closed higher against the USD, after a government report showed that Canada’s annual inflation rate came in unchanged for November.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread betting.

UK Commodities Trading Review

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading 0.4% higher today, at $1,624.88 per ounce.
• Gold for February delivery climbed 1.3% or $20.90 to settle at $1,617.60 per ounce yesterday, as the dollar weakened against the major currencies, increasing the demand for the precious metal as a hedge against inflation.
• In Asia, crude oil for February delivery is trading 0.5% or 52 cents higher at $97.76 per barrel.
• Yesterday, crude oil for January delivery climbed 3.6% or $3.34 to settle at $97.22 per barrel. This came amid speculation that further sanctions against Iran would curb supply from the country, and after American Petroleum Institute reported a higher-than-expected decline in US crude oil inventories last week.
• Crude oil gained value amid expectation of increase in energy demand, following reports that showed a rise in US housing starts in November, and an improvement in German business-climate index for December.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.