The FTSE 100 Futures is trading at  7,368.80 up with +0.39% percent or +28.80 point. The CAC 40 Futures is trading at 5,630.00 up with +0.23% percent or +13.00 point. The DAX Futures is trading at 12,389.50  up with  +0.05% percent or +6.00 point. The EURO Stoxx 50 Futures trading at 3,528.00  up with +0.23% percent or +8.00 point.

TODAY’S FACTORS AND EVENTS

London stocks edged higher on Thursday amid easing Sino-US trade tensions, as investors eyed the latest policy announcement from the European Central Bank.

At 0830 BST, the FTSE 100 was 0.1% higher at 7,347.48, while the pound was up 0.1% against the dollar and the euro at 1.2341 and 1.1202, respectively.

The mood was lifted after Donald Trump agreed to delay a planned increase in tariffs on $250bn of Chinese imports by two weeks. The US President said on Twitter on Wednesday that the delay was “a gesture of good will” and due to the fact that the People’s Republic of China will be celebrating its 70th anniversary on 1 October.

PREVIOUS DAY ACTIVITY

For the day the FTSE 100 closed at 7,361.18  up with +0.32% percent or +23.15  point. France’s CAC  40 closed at 5,618.06 up with +0.44% percent or  +24.86 point.Germany’s DAX closed at 12,388.04  up with +0.24% percent or +29.63  point.

WORLD MARKETS

For the day the Dow is trading at 27,137.04  up with +0.85% percent or +227.61  point. The S&P 500 is trading at 3,000.93  up with +0.72% percent or +21.54 point. The Nasdaq Composite is trading at 8,169.68 up with +1.06% percent or +85.52  point.

In other parts of world, Japan’s Nikkei 225 is trading at 21,759.61 up  with +0.75% percent or +0.75% point. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng is trading at 27,095.29  with a loss of –0.23% percent or –63.77 point. China’s Shanghai Composite is trading at 3,031.24  up with +0.75% percent or +22.42 point. India’s BSE Sensex is trading at 37,310.73  up with +0.11% percent or +39.91 point at 12:15 PM.