UK PRE MARKET

The FTSE 100 Futures are trading at 7,342.20 with a loss of -0.24% percent or -17.30 point. The CAC 40 Futures are trading at 5,211.50 with a loss of -0.70% percent or -36.50 point . The DAX Futures are trading at 12,596.00 with a loss of -0.37% percent or -46.50 point . The EURO Stoxx 50 Futures are trading at 3,514.0 with a loss of -0.40% percent or -13.0  point.

TODAY’S FACTORS AND EVENTS

Markets in Asia were higher across the board on Thursday, with a strong finish on Wall Street overnight giving the region reason to rise, as traders continued to digest a week of key central bank signals.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 was up 0.45% at 20,220.30, as the yen weakened against the dollar, last losing 0.26% to JPY 112.59.

The Toshiba memory chip circus played another matinee performance, as the conglomerate announced yet another delay to the sale of the valuable division, instead opting to take legal action against US memory giant Western Digital for supposedly interfering in the deal.

Western Digital had objected to Toshiba’s planned sale of the division to a Japanese state-backed consortium, as its SanDisk subsidiary was in joint venture with Toshiba at a manufacturing facility and wanted more of a say in the deal.

PREVIOUS DAY ACTIVITY

For the day the FTSE 100 closed at 7,408.31 for up with +0.28% percent or +20.51 point. France’s CAC 40 closed at 5,214.24 with a loss of –0.74% percent or –38.66 point. Germany’s DAX closed at 12,606.68 with a loss of –0.32% percent or –40.59 point.

WORLD MARKETS

For the day the Dow are trading at 21,454.61 for up with  +0.68% percent or  +143.95 point. The S&P 500 are trading at 2,440.69 for up with  +0.88% percent or +21.31 point. The Nasdaq Composite are trading at 6,234.41 for up with +1.43% percent or +87.79 point .

In other parts of world, Japan’s Nikkei 225 are trading at 20,220.30 for up with  +0.45% percent or  +89.89 point. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng are trading at 25,965.42 for up with + 1.10% percent or  +281.92 point. China’s Shanghai Composite are trading at 3,188.06 for up with  +0.47% percent or +14.86 point. India’s S&P BSE Sensex are trading at 30,857.52 for up with +0.08% percent or 23.20 point at 12:26 PM .