FTSE Futures Morning Update on 15 March

UK PRE MARKET

The FTSE 100 Futures are trading at 7,142.00  for up with +0.14% percent or +10.00 point. The CAC 40 Futures are trading at 5,233.00 with a loss of  -0.18% percent or -9.50 point . The DAX Futures are trading at 12,223.00 for up with +0.21% percent or +26.00 point . The EURO Stoxx 50 Futures are trading at 3,392.00 for up  with +0.06% percent or +2.00 point.

TODAY’S FACTORS AND EVENTS

London stocks reversed earlier gains to close lower on Thursday as US equities retreated on the back of weak retail sales and growing political uncertainty, although a strong showing from Prudential and heavily-weighted miners kept losses to a minimum.

The FTSE 100 closed down 0.1% to 7,132.69, while the pound was up 0.1%against the euro at 1.1285 and flat versus the dollar at 1.3958.

Stocks had been marching higher until equities on Wall Street turned lower following the release of disappointing retail sales figures. According to data from the US Census Bureau, retail sales were down 0.1% month-on-month in February versus expectations of a 0.3% increase, marking the third consecutive month of decline. Excluding autos, retail sales were up 0.2%, but this was short of consensus forecasts for a 0.4% increase, with a mixed performance across subsectors.

PREVIOUS DAY ACTIVITY
For the day the FTSE 100 closed at 7,132.69 with a loss of – 0.09% percent or -6.09 point. France’s CAC 40 closed at 5,233.36 with a loss of  -0.18% percent or -9.43 point. Germany’s DAX closed at 12,237.74 for up with +0.14% percent or  +16.71 point.

WORLD MARKETS

For the day the Dow are trading at 24,758.12 with a loss of -1.00% percent or -248.91  point. The S&P 500 are trading at 2,749.48  with a loss of -0.57% percent or  -15.83 point. The Nasdaq Composite are trading at 7,496.81  with a loss of -0.19% percent or -14.20 point.

In other parts of world, Japan’s Nikkei 225 are trading at 21,803.95 for up  with  +0.12% percent or  +26.66 point. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng are trading at 31,521.68 for up with +0.28% percent or  +86.67 point. China’s Shanghai Composite are trading at 3,291.11  with a loss of   -0.01% percent or -0.27 point. India’s BSE Sensex are trading at 33,800.18  with  a loss of -0.11% percent or – 35.56 point at 12:15 PM.