Saturday 16 October 2010

FTSE 100, global markets rise on hopes of more stimulus

By midday, the London's benchmark index was up 41.12 points, or 0.7pc, to 5,676.88, following gains of 1.4pc on Tuesday, its highest close since late April.

Miners were the biggest support to the index as gold hit a record high and copper rose to its highest since July 2008 as the demand outlook brightened on expectations that governments would do more to stimulate the global economy.

Antofagasta, Xstrata, Anglo American and Kazakhmys added 3.6pc to 4.2pc.

The Bank of Japan unexpectedly cut interest rates on Tuesday, supporting a view that other governments will act further to bolster economic recovery.

The Nikkei rose 1.8pc overnight to 9691.43, while in lunchtime trading in Europe, France's CAC 40 and Germany's DAX were both up more than 1pc.

In London, Energy firms were also stronger with crude oil hitting its highest level in five months. Royal Dutch Shell gained 1.4pc.

In the United States, the Institute for Supply Management's index showed the pace of growth in the US services sector accelerated more quickly than forecast in September, while hiring also picked up.

German manufacturing orders rose in August by 3.4pct on the month, surpassing forecasts.

"Macro stuff like the industrials order number is giving heart to the bulls while the bears are getting squeezed," Giles Watts, head of equities at City Index, told Reutuers. "There's a feeling that the market can keep going higher at the moment."

A survey by the British Retail Consortium showed that a jump in the cost of agricultural commodities drove British shop price inflation to a five-month high in September.

Autonomy was the top faller, down 12pct after it said it expected to review its full-year internal model with a revenue reduction of around 3pc. This wiped out most of the 16pc rise seen in September.

Sainsbury was also among the top fallers, down 1.1pc, after reporting sales at the top end of forecasts.


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