Spread Betting Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 shed 0.8% to close at 5,624.3.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index eased 0.8% or 8.1 points to settle at 1,013.4.
• Dow Jones slid marginally to close at 12,415.7. NASDAQ climbed 0.8% to end at 2,669.9. S&P 500 ticked up 0.3% to settle at 1,281.1.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 1.4% lower, at 8,370.9.
• In Asia, crude oil for February delivery is trading 0.2% or $0.18 lower at $101.63 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading marginally higher against the USD at $1.5505, flat against the EUR at €1.2117, and 0.1% higher against the JPY at ¥119.68.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

UK Spread Betting Markets

• UK markets closed lower yesterday, amid renewed concerns over the European debt crisis as French borrowing costs surged at a bond auction, overshadowing data showing an improvement in UK services sector PMI for December.
• Vedanta Resources, the top decliner on the FTSE 100 index, tumbled 5.2%, while Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton lost 0.6% and 1.2%, respectively, as base metal prices slipped.
• Among banks, Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays lost between 0.9% and 2.5%, as concerns about Europe’s banking sector dampened market sentiment.
• Inter-dealer broker, ICAP slumped 4.6%, after peer, Tullett Prebon, highlighted a tough trading environment in a trading update.
• Vodafone shed 2.1%, as its US partner, Verizon, trimmed its fourth-quarter profit guidance, raising concerns over Vodafone’s dividend.
• National Grid lost 2.7%, amid reports that it might slash its dividend payout.
• FTSE 100 shed 0.8% to close at 5,624.3, while FTSE 250 shed 1.3% to end at 10,144.6.
• ENRC climbed 4.6%, after the company reached an out-of-court settlement with First Quantum Minerals in a dispute over ownership of assets.
• Fresnillo rose 3.3%, tracking higher gold prices.
• ARM Holdings added 2.6%, after UBS recommended the stock with short-term “Buy” rating.
• Petrofac advanced 1.9% after the company announced that it had signed a cooperation agreement with Schlumberger to deliver integrated and high-value production projects.
• Land Securities Group and British Land added 1.3% and 0.8%, respectively, after Morgan Stanley upgraded UK’s largest real estate investment trusts to “Equal weight” from “Underweight”.
• ICAP sank 4.6%, after peer, Tullett Prebon, highlighted a tough trading environment in a trading update.
• CRH fell 3.6%, after Credit Suisse downgraded the stock to “Underperform” from “Neutral”.
• Essar Energy fell 3.1%, in line with a fall in crude oil prices.
• National Grid declined 2.7%, amid speculation that unfavourable outcomes in regulatory pricing reviews due this year might force the company to cut its dividend.
• 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 $1.5505, flat against the EUR at €1.2117, and 0.1% higher against the JPY at ¥119.68.
• The EUR is trading marginally higher against the USD at $1.2795, ahead of the release of a key US non-farm payrolls data.
• The EUR is trading marginally higher against the JPY at ¥98.76.
• The AUD and NZD are trading lower against the USD, as demand for high yielding currencies declined. This came amid speculation that European leaders would struggle to contain the region’s sovereign-debt crisis, after bond yields rose and consumer confidence and spending dropped in the Euroarea.
• Yesterday, the USD closed higher against the EUR and the GBP, after data showed that private-sector payrolls rose by 325,000 in December and initial jobless claims fell by 15,000, last week, to a seasonally adjusted 372,000.
• The GBP closed higher against the EUR, as concerns about the Eurozone debt-crisis increased after French borrowing costs increased at an auction.
• The AUD closed lower against the USD, after Australia’s trade surplus unexpectedly narrowed in November and services industry shrank for a third month in December.
• The NZD closed lower against the USD, after France’s borrowing costs surged at a bond auction and speculation rose that credit-rating companies might cut the nation’s top AAA ranking.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread betting.

Commodities Spread Betting Markets

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading 0.3% higher today, at $1,625.06 per ounce.
• Gold for February delivery added 0.2% or $2.70 to settle at $1,622.80 per ounce yesterday. This came as mounting concerns about the pace of the economic recovery, spurred investment in the precious metal as a safe haven asset.
• In Asia, crude oil for February delivery is trading 0.2% or $0.18 lower at $101.63 per barrel.
• Yesterday, crude oil for February delivery fell 1.4% or $1.41 to end at $101.81per barrel. This came after the US Energy Department report showed that crude oil inventories in the US increased by 2.2 million barrels in the week ended December 30.
• Crude oil prices came under pressure, as the dollar appreciated against most other currencies, decreasing the demand for the commodities as an alternative investment.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.