The FTSE 100 Futures is trading at 6,737.50 up with +0.02% percent or +1.50 point. The CAC 40 Futures is trading at 6,148.20 up with +0.78% percent or +47.70 point. The DAX Futures is trading at 15,302.00 up with +0.65% or +99.50 point. The EURO Stoxx 50 Futures trading at 3,928.00 with +0.46% percent or +18.00 point.

TODAY’S FACTORS AND EVENTS

London stocks closed the Good Friday-truncated week with a positive finish on Thursday, as a surprise rise in US jobless claims was apparently offset by US President Joe Biden’s $2trn infrastructure plan, a profit upgrade from Next and encouraging manufacturing data.

The FTSE 100 ended the session up 0.35% at 6,737.30, and the FTSE 250 managed gains of 0.99% to 21,732.67.

Sterling was in a mixed state, meanwhile, last gaining 0.36% on the dollar to trade at $1.3832, but slipping 0.02% against the euro to €1.1748.

YESTERDAY ACTIVITY

For the day the FTSE 100 closed at 6,737.30 up with +percent or +23.67 point. France’s CAC  40 closed at 6,102.96 up with +percent or +35.73 point.Germany’s DAX closed at 15,107.17 up with + percent or +98.83 point.

WORLD MARKETS

For the day the Dow is trading at 33,527.19 up with +percent or +373.98 point. The S&P 500 is trading at 4,077.91 up with + percent or +58.04 point. The Nasdaq Composite is trading at 13,705.59 up with + percent or  +225.49 point.

In other parts of world, Japan’s Nikkei 225 is trading at at 29,696.63  with a loss of –percent or ?392.62 point. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng is trading at 28,938.74 up with  percent or +560.39 point. China’s Shanghai  Composite is trading at 3,485.13 up with + percent or +0.73 point. India’s BSE Sensex is trading at 49,398.53  with + percent or +239.21 point at 12:15 PM.