The FTSE 100 Futures is trading at 7,342.50  with a loss of -0.18% percent or -13.50 point. The CAC 40 Futures is trading at 5,514.57  with a loss of -0.13% percent or -7.14 point. The DAX Futures is trading at 12,185.30  up with +0.08% percent or +10.30 point. The EURO Stoxx 50 Futures trading at 3,424.00  up with +0.06% percent or +2.00 point.

TODAY’S FACTORS AND EVENTS

Overnight, US President Donald Trump signed off on a new round of “hard-hitting” sanctions against Iran following its downing last week of a US surveillance drone. The measures were targetted at Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said they “go after the supreme leader’s office and lock up literally billions more in assets”.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said the “fruitless sanctions” mean “the permanent closure of the road of diplomacy with the frustrated US administration”.

PREVIOUS DAY ACTIVITY

For the day the FTSE 100 closed at 7,422.43  up with +0.077% percent or +5.74 point. France’s CAC  40 closed at 5,514.57  with a loss of -0.13% percent or -7.14 point.Germany’s DAX closed at 12,228.44  with a loss of -0.38% percent or -46.13 point.

WORLD MARKETS

For the day the Dow is trading at 26,548.22 with a loss of -0.67% percent or -179.32 point. The S&P 500 is trading at 2,917.38 with a loss of -0.95% percent or -27.97 point. The Nasdaq Composite is trading at 7,884.72  with a loss of -1.51% percent or -120.98 point.

In other parts of world, Japan’s Nikkei 225 is trading at 21,086.59  with a loss of -0.51% percent or -107.22 point. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng is trading at 28,230.97  up with 0.16% percent or  +44.99 point. China’s Shanghai Composite is trading at 2,978.03  with a loss of -0.14% percent or -4.04 point. India’s BSE Sensex is trading at 39,511.84 up with +0.20% percent or +76.90 point at 12:15 PM.