Spread Betting Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 edged down 0.4% to settle at 5,365.0.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index added 0.1% or 0.6 points to settle at 957.5.
• DJIA slid 0.8% to close at 11,766.30. NASDAQ slumped 1.3% to settle at 2,523.1. S&P 500 declined 1.2% to settle at 1,205.4.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 0.5% higher, at 8,340.8.
• In Asia, crude oil for January delivery is trading 0.4% or 37 cents higher at $94.25 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.1% higher against the USD at $1.5518, 0.1% higher against the EUR at €1.1932, and marginally higher against the JPY at ¥121.02.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

UK Spread Betting Markets

• UK markets closed lower yesterday, led by declines in banking sector stocks, after the UK government backed proposals to reform the country’s banking system. Furthermore, comments made by the European Central Bank President on the state of the European economy, dented market sentiment.
• Mining sector stocks, BHP Billiton, Antofagasta, Fresnillo, Kazakhmys and Vedanta Resources dropped between 1.5% and 3.6%, tracking a fall in base metal prices.
• Lloyds Banking Group, the top laggard on the FTSE 100 index, fell 4.2%, while Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays declined 3.0% and 3.2%, respectively, as Britain mulled to introduce barriers between the banks’ retail and investment banking divisions.
• Utility stock, National Grid slipped 1.0%, as Deutsche Bank downgraded its rating on the stock to “Sell” from “Hold”.
• FTSE 100 edged down 0.4% to settle at 5,365.0, while FTSE 250 slid 0.6% to close at 9,748.4.
• Aggreko gained 1.7%, after the company raised its earnings forecast.
• Banking stocks, Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays and RBS, fell between 3.0% and 4.2%, as Britain mulled to introduce firewalls between the banks’ retail and investment banking divisions.
• Miners, Vedanta Resources, Kazakhmys and ENRC slid between 2.3% and 3.6%, as base metal prices retreated.
• Fresnillo eased 2.5%, in line with a fall in silver prices.
• Energy stocks, Essar Energy and Tullow Oil declined 2.4% and 2.3%, respectively, despite a rise in crude oil prices.
• For more on trading UK shares see spread betting on UK shares.

UK Forex Trading Review

• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.1% higher against the USD at $1.5518, 0.1% higher against the EUR at €1.1932, and marginally higher against the JPY at ¥121.02.
• The EUR is trading marginally lower against the USD at $1.3005.
• The EUR is trading 0.1% lower against the JPY at ¥101.42.
• EUR is trading lower against most of its major peers, ahead of a bill auction by Spain and amid speculation that Germany’s business confidence might show a drop in December.
• The AUD / USD is trading higher after minutes of the Australian central bank’s meeting showed that policy makers were confident on continuous expansion of the domestic economy despite the ongoing European sovereign debt crisis.
• The NZD is trading higher against the USD, amid optimism that a report this week might show that New Zealand’s economy expanded in the third-quarter.
• On Friday, the USD closed higher against the EUR, after ECB President, Mario Draghi, stated that the outlook for the European region was highly “uncertain” and added that the ECB might not participate in further bond purchase program.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread betting.

Commodities Spread Betting Markets

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading 0.2% higher today, at $1,597.23 per ounce.
• Gold for February delivery declined 0.1% or $1.20 to end at $1,596.70 per ounce yesterday, as the dollar rose against the euro, decreasing the demand for the precious metal as a hedge against inflation.
• In Asia, crude oil for January delivery is trading 0.4% or 37 cents higher at $94.25 per barrel.
• Yesterday, crude oil for January delivery climbed 0.4% or 35 cents to close at $93.88 per barrel, as protests in Kazakhstan raised concerns that supplies might be disrupted. Additionally, investors remained cautious over the succession of power in North Korea and the ongoing Eurozone debt crisis.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.