• FTSE 100 up 0.1% to 6,825
• Gold down 0.1% to $1,286.00/oz
• £/$ – 1.6680
This morning in the forex markets, pound sterling was trading against the greenback at 1.6568 and against the euro at 1.2621. The dollar was trading at 0.7617 against the euro and 104.83 against the Japanese yen.
The FTSE 100 rose six points in yesterday’s trading and closed at 6,825.
Broadcaster ITV led Monday’s climbers with a gain of 3.6%. And retailer Marks & Spencer followed, ending the day 2.6% higher. However, it was another unprofitable day for supermarkets. Morrisons fell 2.3% and Tesco and Sainsbury’s were down 1.9% and 0.3% respectively.
In Europe, the Paris CAC 40 fell just one point to 4,380, but the German Xetra Dax gained nine points to 9,480.
In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.1% to 17,098, the S&P 500 added 0.3% to 2,003, and the Nasdaq Composite was 0.5% higher at 4,580.
Overnight in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.2% to 15,669, and the broader Topix index gained 1.1% to 1,297. And in China, the Shanghai Composite rose 1.4% to 2,266, and the CSI 300 added 1.3% to 2,386.
Brent spot was trading at $102.55 early today, and in New York, crude oil was at $95.68.
Spot gold was trading at $1,278 an ounce, silver was at $19.33 and platinum was at $1,415.
And in the UK, Redrow’s full-year profits were 91% higher, thanks in part to the government’s Help to Buy scheme and a buoyant housing market. The housebuilder has doubled its dividend to 2p per share.
