Spread Betting Markets Snapshot

• FTSE 100 edged up 0.1% to close at 5,572.3.
• FTSEurofirst 300 index added 1.1% or 10.5 points to settle at 1,011.9.
• DJIA declined 0.6% to close at 12,217.6. NASDAQ edged down 0.3% to settle at 2,605.2. S&P 500 inched 0.4% lower to settle at 1,257.6.
• Markets in Japan are closed on account of New Year’s holiday.
• In Asia, crude oil for February delivery is trading 1.6% or $1.58 higher at $100.41 per barrel.
• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.1% higher against the USD at $1.5529, 0.2% lower against the EUR at €1.1970, and 0.1% lower against the JPY at ¥119.35.
• For more on trading stock market indices see spread betting on indices.

UK Spread Betting Markets

• UK markets closed higher on Friday, in the shortened final session of 2011, amid optimism that global economy would recover.
• Among retail stocks, J Sainsbury, the top gainer on the FTSE 100 index, advanced 2.3%.
• BG Group edged 0.4% higher, after its partner, Petroleo Brasileiro, submitted a declaration of commerciality with the Brazilian authority for extraction of light oil and gas in the Guara area.
• Randgold Resources and Fresnillo added 0.7% and 1.7%, respectively, as gold and silver prices rebounded.
• Essar Energy rose 1.7%, amid news that it had brought online the first part of the 1200MW Salaya 1 plant in Gujarat on the west coast of India.
• Among miners, Vedanta Resources and Kazakhmys climbed 1.0% and 1.3%, respectively, after BNP Paribas issued an optimistic note about the prospects for copper demand over the next year.
• FTSE 100 edged up 0.1% to close at 5,572.3, while FTSE 250 ticked up 0.5% to end at 10,102.9.
• Lloyds Banking Group rose 1.7%, as risk appetite increased among investors.
• Essar Energy rose 1.7%, amid news that it had brought online the first part of the 1200MW Salaya 1 plant in Gujarat on the west coast of India.
• Fresnillo added 1.7%, in line with a rise in gold prices.
• Oil related stocks, Royal Dutch Shell and Cairn Energy, dropped 0.7% each, as crude oil prices lost ground.
• For more on trading UK shares see spread betting on UK shares.

Forex Spread Betting Markets

• At 0400 BST today, the GBP is trading 0.1% higher against the USD at $1.5529, 0.2% lower against the EUR at €1.1970, and 0.1% lower against the JPY at ¥119.35.
• The EUR is trading 0.3% higher against the USD at $1.2973.
• The EUR is trading 0.2% higher against the JPY at ¥99.71.
• The USD is trading lower against most of its major peers amid speculation that US manufacturing grew at the fastest pace in six months in December, increasing demand for riskier assets.
• The AUD is trading higher against the USD, after a private report showed that Australian manufacturing activity expanded for the first time in six months in December.
• Yesterday, the EUR closed lower against the USD, after a report confirmed that European manufacturing output shrank in December for a fifth consecutive month, increasing the demand for safe haven assets.
• For more on trading the forex markets see forex spread betting.

Commodities Spread Betting Markets

• Gold for immediate delivery is trading 0.4% higher today, at $1,579.30 per ounce.
• Gold for February futures contract rose 1.7% or $25.90 to settle at $1,566.80 per ounce on Friday, as lingering uncertainty over global economic growth and the Eurozone debt crisis, forced investors to purchase the precious metal as an alternative investment.
• In Asia, crude oil for February delivery is trading 1.6% or $1.58 higher at $100.41 per barrel.
• On Friday, crude oil for February delivery slid 0.8% or $0.82 to settle at $98.83 per barrel, amid speculation that a slowdown in global economic growth would curb demand.
• For more on commodities trading see commodities spread betting.