AUS
NZ
UK
CA
USA
FRA
GER
ESP
ITA
NLD
PRT
SWE
GRC
IND
POL
BRA
ZAF
RUS
CHN
UAE
Summary
- FTSE 100 trades higher today after positive result announcements by companies.
- Britain’s coronavirus tracking app will reduce contact tracing days after staff shortage concerns raised by the UK’s business community.
FTSE 100 trades in the green, supported by positive results by major companies. The top gainer amongst the blue-chip index was BP Plc, which was up by over 4% after the company’s reported profit came better than market expectations. Meanwhile, the Mid-cap focused FTSE250 was also up by 0.31% at 23,280 levels.
Britain’s health ministry has made specific changes in the NHS coronavirus tracking app after concern was raised by the business community over the staff shortage because of self-isolation. At present, the mobile app trace contact dating back five days and ping the people when they come in close contact with someone who has tested positive. Under the new changes, the app will trace the contact dating back just two days, which is expected to reduce the staff shortage problem and major businesses disruption in the UK.
European Markets
Major European market indexes trade mixed but largely on the positive side helped by good earnings numbers of companies like Societe Generale, which raised its full-year guidance after reporting a profit in the second quarter. German blue-chip DAX index is marginally down by 0.10% at 15,547, while the CAC 40, benchmark index of France was at 6,732, up by 0.90%.
Currency Markets
The pound continues to trade higher against the dollar, helped by the recent fall in coronavirus cases and a positive outlook towards the UK economy after easement of restriction. The pound trades at 1.3902, up by 0.15% against the US dollar, while the EUR/ GBP currency pair traded at 0.8540, down by 0.08%.
Commodities
WTI crude oil future contract traded at USD 69.67, down by 2.23%, while the Brent crude oil trades at USD 71.53, down by 1.87%. The crude oil price continues to see downside after yesterday’s fall of more than 3%, on reports of a slowdown in China’s economy, the second-largest oil consumer. However, crude oil price could bounce back a bit after the expectation of a further decline in the weekly US crude oil inventories due to concern over the rising cases of delta variant in the US.
Gold August futures contract is trading in negative territory, down by 0.32% at USD 1816 per ounce.
Asian Markets
Asia Pacific indexes made a mixed closing. Shanghai Composite of China closed in red, down by 0.47% at 3,447, major listed Chinese gaming stock saw a free fall today after investors anticipate a crackdown on the gaming industry by the government. Australia’s ASX200 closed at 7,474, down by 0.23%. Nikkei 225 of Japan also closed in the red, down by 0.50% at 27641, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index closed in red, down by 0.16% at 26194. India’s Nifty 50 closed above the 16,000 mark for the first time at 16130, up by 1.55%.
