Spread Betting Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 edged down 0.6% to settle at 5,389.7.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index dropped 0.5% or 4.6 points to settle at 971.7.
• DJIA edged up marginally to close at 12,107.7. NASDAQ lost 1.0% to settle at 2,578.0. S&P 500 ticked up 0.2% to settle at 1,243.7.
• Nikkei 225 index is trading 0.7% lower, at 8,401.5.
• In Asia, crude oil for February delivery is trading 0.1% or $0.10 higher at $98.77 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading flat against the USD at $1.5667, 0.1% lower against the EUR at €1.2011, and 0.1% lower against the JPY at ¥122.27.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

UK Shares Trading Review

• UK shares spread betting markets slipped yesterday, paring earlier gains, as European Central Banks’ (ECB) plan to boost liquidity for the region’s lenders failed to ease market concerns about the ongoing eurozone debt crisis.
• Power group, Essar Energy, the top laggard on the FTSE 100 index, lost 3.4%, as its founder, Ravi Ruia, temporarily stepped aside as Chairman, after a court summoned him in relation to a 2G scam case in India.
• Software group, Sage lost 2.4%, after its US peer, Oracle, posted disappointing second-quarter results.
• Among retailers, Tesco and Marks & Spencer dropped 1.3% and 2.2%, respectively, after data showed that UK consumer confidence slipped in December to its lowest level since February 2009.
• However, banking stock, Lloyds Banking Group rose 5.6%, after Exane BNP Paribas upgraded its rating on the stock to “Outperform” from “Underperform”.
• FTSE 100 edged down 0.6% to settle at 5,389.7, while FTSE 250 inched 0.3% lower to close at 9,843.0.
• Lloyds Banking Group surged 5.6%, after Exane BNP Paribas raised its recommendation on the stock to “Outperform” from “Underperform”.
• Industrial stock, CRH and Wolseley, rose 2.6% and 2.1%, respectively, after the Architecture Billings Index, showed an unexpected expansion in October.
• Polymetal International gained 2.1%, after positive comments from Collins Stewart.
• Essar Energy dropped 3.4%, after the company’s Chairman, Ravi Ruia, temporarily stepped aside amid an investigation related to the 2G scam case in India.
• Sage Group declined 2.4%, after its US peer Oracle reported weaker-than-expected earnings.
• Retailers, Marks & Spencer and Kingfisher, fell 2.2% and 2.0%, respectively, after GfK NOP survey showed that UK consumer confidence fell in December.
• For more on trading UK shares see spread betting on UK shares.

Forex Spread Betting Markets

• In forex spread betting, as of 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading flat against the USD at $1.5667, 0.1% lower against the EUR at €1.2011, and 0.1% lower against the JPY at ¥122.27.
• The EUR is trading 0.1% higher against the USD at $1.3044, ahead of the European Central Bank President Mario Draghi’s media briefing today.
• The EUR is trading flat against the JPY at ¥101.79. Japan’s Ministry of Finance report showed that Japanese investors had bought ¥26.2bn in overseas bonds and notes for the week ended December 16.
• The AUD and NZD are trading lower against the USD, as demand for high-yielding assets decreased amid concern that the ECB’s measures to boost liquidity might not resolve the European region’s debt crisis.
• The WON fell against the USD, as concerns about political turmoil, following the death of North Korean leader, eased after positive US housing data boosted the outlook for the nation’s exporters.
• Yesterday, the USD closed higher against the EUR, following report that 523 banks across Europe borrowed higher-than-expected amount from the ECB for three-year loans totalling €489 billion.
• The CHF ended lower against the USD, after Switzerland’s Finance Minister, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, stated that a panel was considering measures, including capital controls, a levy on transactions and negative interest rates, to weaken the country’s currency.
• USD / CAD closed higher, after Canadian statistics agency reported that the country’s retail sales jumped more-than-expected in October.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread betting.

Commodities Spread Betting Markets

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading 0.1% lower today, at $1,610.75 per ounce.
• Gold for February delivery fell 0.3% or $4.0 to settle at $1,613.60 per ounce yesterday, as the dollar rose against the major currencies, decreasing the demand for the precious metal as a hedge against inflation.
• In Asia, crude oil for February delivery is trading 0.1% or $0.10 higher at $98.77 per barrel.
• Yesterday, crude oil for February delivery rose 1.5% or $1.43 to settle at $98.67 per barrel, after the Energy Information Administration report showed that US crude oil inventories had dropped by 10.6 million barrels for the week ended 16 December.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.