The FTSE 100 Futures is trading at 7,548.20 up with +0.31% percent or +23.20 point. The CAC 40 Futures is trading at 6,038.50  up with +0.25% percent or +15.00 point. The DAX Futures is trading at 13,205.00 up with +0.53% percent or +69.00 point. The EURO Stoxx 50 Futures trading at 3,758.00 up with +0.27% percent or +10.00 point.

TODAY’S FACTORS AND EVENTS

The pound was up 0.71% against the US dollar at 1.31681 after a survey showed that the services sector stabilised in December, underpinned by the General Election. The IHS/Markit CIPS purchasing managers’ index ticked up to 50.0 from 49.3 in November, coming in ahead of a flash estimate of 49.0. A level above 50.0 signals expansion, while a reading below indicates contraction.

YESTERDAY ACTIVITY

For the day the FTSE 100 closed at 7,575.34  with a loss of –0.62% percent or -47.06  point. France’s CAC  40 closed at 6,013.59  with a loss of –0.51% percent or -30.57 point.Germany’s DAX closed at 13,126.99  with a loss of -0.70% percent or -92.15  point.

WORLD MARKETS

For the day the Dow is trading at 28,703.38  up with +0.24% percent or +68.50 point. The S&P 500 is trading at 3,246.28 up with +0.35% percent or +11.43 point. The Nasdaq Composite is trading at 9,071.46 up with +0.56% percent or +50.70 point.

In other parts of world, Japan’s Nikkei 225 is trading at 23,575.72  up with +1.60% percent or +370.86 point. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng is trading at 28,325.01 up with +0.35% percent or +98.26 point. China’s Shanghai Composite is trading at 3,104.80  up with +0.69% percent or +21.39   point. India’s BSE Sensex is trading at 40,765.85 up with +0.52% percent or +212.71 point at 12:15 PM.