The markets reacted, unsurprisingly, to the downside on yesterday’s US employment news but the FTSE failed yet again to break below 4200.
Buyers are steadily drifting back into the market hoping for a repeat performance of the action of the last 10 days where the market has repeatedly hit the 4210 level (or thereabouts) and recovered back up to 4300.
This morning sees our Financial Spreads clients very heavily long of all the indices and the initial move is very nice for them with a return to the mid 4200’s in the FTSE 100 already.
The US markets are closed for the Independence Day holiday and this is likely to make for slow but steady trend price movement.
In all of the virtual non-activity of the last few months in the FTSE the traders with the deepest pockets have been the winners as the constrained trading environment has made for very profitable short term position taking.
Spread Betting on Indices, 2 July 2009
The market is once again failing to make ground. The US session started with a spring in its step but gradually gave back all its gains throughout the day.
US futures are weaker too and already we are calling the Dow Jones to open 40 points lower at 8465 and the S&P also 5 points in the red at 918.3 at the time of writing.
The FTSE 100 is choppy this morning and has recovered partially from its lows. It’s now back around the 4300 level.
The indecision and lack of direction can be attributed to the non-farm payroll data that’s due to be released from the US at 13h30 today. This is usually THE market mover and last month’s figure came in much better than expected, causing a gap higher in futures before the cash markets opened at 14h30.
Spread Betting on Indices, 1 July 2009
The FTSE 100 open has taken us all rather by surprise. We were initially calling the market to start near to where we closed last night after the US indices skulked around their lows and little came from the Asian session.
The move higher has been lead by miners, energy stocks and also retailers in an audacious start to the third quarter after many claimed that markets limped over the line at the end of Q2 with a bout of window dressing.
Retailers are gaining ground on some not-as-bad-as-expected-news from M&S. They reported their smallest quarterly sales decline in near to two years. M&S shares are pushing some 3.5% higher and Next are benefiting too with a move back above the £15 mark, up by some 3% so far this morning.
So far the rally this morning has been strong and quick. We are through the 4300 level already. The test will be whether we can maintain these levels. There is resistance where we currently stand. On the daily chart we are once again just below the 20 day moving average which is sitting around the 4330 level at the moment.
The economic data being released at the moment is mixed to say the least. While house prices here are showing signs of recovering, in the US it is looking like the worse of their declines are over and they are finally turning the corner. Nevertheless, GDP numbers yesterday were very disappointing and US consumer confidence also put a dampener on proceedings.
For the UK housing market the green shoots should be taken with a pinch of salt. Much of the support to prices is being attributed to foreign money coming in as investors take advantage of a weak sterling.
Buyers are still being squeezed by a lack of fresh supply coming onto the market and of course mortgage lending is still very tight. With the overall unemployment situation still grim, the current trend for house prices looks unsustainable.
There seems to be an overall tussle between the bulls and bears across most assets classes at the moment. As this battle is taking place near the highs, it is no wonder that so many people, particularly technical analysts, are calling for lower prices across all indices. With bulls matching bears blow for blow at the moment, it will be interesting to see who will win in the end.
Spread Betting on Indices, 30 June 2009
Markets have been quiet in the past but this morning is almost something different.
In two hours of trading the FTSE 100 has managed to excite absolutely nobody at all after the Dow Jones and S&P 500 went into deep freeze yesterday evening.
With volumes draining away as dealers head off to the beach there is a good chance that the current moribund conditions will continue for quite some time.
Watching the charts is rather a frustrating pastime as even small moves look huge due to lack of any major scale with which to compare.
The major UK index has now been stuck in a 100 point range for seven sessions and (in truth) today does not exactly look like changing matters.
Spread Betting on Indices, 29 June 2009
The congested trading ranges continue to dominate proceedings with the Markets loath to make a decision about direction.
Punters who are patient and not too aggressive have been able to pick the trades quite simply in virtually all the major arenas especially in such favourites as Cable, FTSE, Oil and the Dow. The ranges have almost become set in stone for all of these markets and the only problem is to avoid being the wrong way round when the break out finally arrives.
On this issue the inability of the FTSE 100 to recover from the 4200 level is becoming a concern as other indices do seem to have bounced from the lows of last midweek.
Financial Spread Clients continue to buy the weakness as this has proved to be the correct decision for some considerable time but it must be noted that this continued failure to move away from the support at 4200 is worrying.
While the major economic forums are uncharacteristically optimistic at the moment for future growth (2010/2011) this still seems to be more of a line in hope rather than expectation. The huge levels of debt created in the consumer portion of the global economy are not going to disappear overnight and this commentator fears that we will have one two hiccups on the way.
Buyers have been much in evidence in the first few minutes of action this morning as the FTSE, which was called down at around 4225 in pre-market activity, was swiftly bought up to the 4250 mark. Short term there is a small resistance level at 4255 which might prove awkward to break through but, for today, the sun is shining and there appears to be little reason for any dramatic activity.
Price update:
The FTSE 100 closed last week down -104.9 points at 4241 (down -2.41%)
Wall St (Dow) closed last week down -101.34 points at 8438.39 (down -1.19%)
The Nasdaq 100 closed last week up 10.75 points at 1838.22 (up 0.59%)
The S&P 500 closed last week down -2.33 points at 918.9 (down -0.25%)
The DAX 30 closed last week down -62.99 points at 4776.47 (down -1.3%)
The Nikkei 225 closed last week up 91.13 points at 9877.39 (up 0.93%)
FTSE holds its ground. US markets staged a bit of a comeback last night following comments from the Federal Reserve’s chairman that the Bank of America and Merrill Lynch deal had helped to stabilise the financial markets.
The remarks were hardly worthy of the sort of rally that we had last night, but the move goes to show sometimes just how fickle the US markets can be.
It would seem that buyers just needed any excuse to lift stocks and the rally means that we continue to trade within the tight range.
The FTSE is trying to push back above 4300, but has already rejected the level so far this morning. Resistance is seen around there and a few sellers have drifted in as client sentiment seems to have shifted from exceedingly bullish to a slightly more moderate stance.
If we breach 4300 the next test will be 4315 and then 4360 where the 20 day moving average is currently sitting, but it’s hard to see momentum for the bulls managing to sustain such a move.
Spread Betting on Indices, 25 June 2009
For those who like symmetry and patterns in the markets the last six months or so have been a boon. As mentioned many times in these comments.
Yesterday saw the Dow Jones hit the same support range as held the markets up back in May and ‘lo and behold’ here we go again. 8200 to 8250 proved too much of a battle to breach on six separate occasions in just a couple of weeks last month and traders have obviously decided that the same action is likely to reoccur this time as well.
The sell off late in the trading session on the Dow was not matched by the S&P 500 which failed by fully 70 points to record a lower print than Tuesday’s low and the odds may now turn back towards the upside once again.
Trading continues to be fast and furious but for those bulls out there I do have one piece of rather good news. A newspaper commentator, TS, who spent most of the last 18 months being bullish (in the face of everything) has just turned bearish (if his latest article is to be believed). For those of you who love a good contra indicator this may well be as good as it gets.
For all of the comment about the end of the bull run the FTSE is currently just 230 points from the highs of May. Not much of a reversal. About 5%. We have had many individual trading sessions in the last year with bigger ranges.
Like many commentators I am nervous about the strength of the current ‘green shoots’. I fear that what acceleration in activity we do get will be snuffed out (and more) by the increases in taxes and cuts in spending that must occur after the next election.
Spread Betting on Indices, 24 June 2009
Markets this morning tried to open on the side of the angels but sellers have been quick to get involved and the FTSE has slipped from the 4250 level on the off to around 4220 as I write.
We are seeing heavy buying from Financial Spread clients who have watched the index unsuccessfully trying to break below 4200 for the last couple of days.
While I can empathise with the feeling that, as nothing has really changed over the last few weeks, the markets have fallen far enough I would be wary of getting too over exposed just at the moment.
I fear that too many funds/traders may have bought into the recovery story. With the low volume summer months upon us there is a reasonable chance of a squeeze on weak longs forcing a sharp shift lower.
It would be advisable if you are tempted to take out any positions at the moment to be less aggressive than normal. Watch for a break of 4217 and below here 4200 which both represent minor supports.
Spread Betting on Indices, 23 June 2009
A grim day on the markets but, for all the weakness, there does not appear to be much of a follow through.
The FTSE fell through a series of supports in a day of steps to the downside to close near its lows. However, in truth, there seemed to be no feeling of panic that we were about to launch on a renewed period of weakness. The poor performance was pretty much universal rather than picking on one unfavoured sector.
Today sees the FTSE 100 Index opening almost unchanged having been called considerably lower in pre-market action as investors take stock for the first session. They are initially deciding that yesterday was a tad overdone.
The green shoots of recovery are still to be seen but the probability is that the corporate profit side of the equation has yet to reach its nadir. As employment dwindles margins are likely to be squeezed for some considerable time to come.
The question remains; what will be the outlook when the economy finally turns? Unfortunately the answer, currently, appears to be that we will endure many years of grindingly disappointing numbers as the disaster that is the public finances seeps its way through the numbers.
For companies that are primarily focused on the UK this will possibly mean years of under performance. Remember that some 70% of FTSE 100 business is non domestic.
Anyway, that is for the future, today the argument is over whether the FTSE will continue its recent decline or whether the buyers will make a foray.
There has not been a serious pull back in the markets since the turn of early march and we have been due something of a retracement. The breaking of the upward support trendline on the 15th has turned into a concerted move lower. This is as good a piece of evidence that you are likely to see that following technical data can be remunerative.
The 4200 level represents a good approximation of the middle of the trading range since last October and there is a reasonable possibility that this return to the middle ground will become a feature of months (maybe years) to come.
At the end of last year (just before Christmas) along with a number of other, rather more respected, commentators I was asked for my expectations for the end of 2009.
The wide spread of answers was instructive some picking on 3500 some at 5000 etc. My answer was 4250. When challenged, as I was a long way away from everyone else, my response was simple. “That was where we were at the time”. With the year nearly half gone we are pretty much bang on the mark.
Support is likely to arise just below the 4200 level at around 4180 which, if tested, could see further weakness but there is continuous volume support all the way down from here so it will take a considerable amount of effort to force the issue. The easier route is back up to 4260-4280 and we may expect a small recovery to these levels.
Spread Betting on Indices, 22 June 2009
The market has caught us off guard this morning. Initially we were calling the FTSE to open in the black around 5 to 10 points. The instant the cash markets opened the sellers were out in force driving prices down.
At the time of writing we are sitting on the 4300 level, still within this peculiar 275 point range we've been in for the past seven weeks.
When you look at the charts for equity indices at the moment, they all seem to have reached a point where they simply don't seem to know where to turn next.
Support is significant enough to have prevented any sharp corrections to the down side and buyers just dry up when we look like breaking through to new highs.
Ever since the markets returned to the levels at the end of 2008 investors seem to think that we've done all we need to do and almost packed up for the year.
There is probably a degree of uncertainty creeping in regarding the Iran situation and when I checked the prices for opening calls in the FTSE last night I was surprised to see the markets looking so chirpy considering what is unfolding in the Middle East.
Whilst the price of oil has remained unaffected by the crisis, it is unnerving to see things escalate in a country that is meant to be one of the most democratic in the region.
Price update:
The FTSE 100 closed last week down -96 points at 4345.9 (down -2.16%)
Wall St (Dow) closed last week down -259.53 points at 8539.73 (down -2.95%)
The Nasdaq closed last week down -31.33 points at 1827.47 (down -1.69%)
The S&P 500 closed last week down -24.98 points at 921.23 (down -2.64%)
The DAX closed last week down -229.78 points at 4839.46 (down -4.53%)
The Nikkei closed last week down -349.56 points at 9786.26 (down -3.45%)
Two days of hammering at the support levels and still no give.
After the rather grim data releases yesterday the markets did make an attempt to break lower getting as far as 4235. It was decidedly heavy going until the US finally decided that the upside was the way to go and the FTSE followed suit.
We are in something of a dilemma here as, while on the one hand the support seems to be solid below 4280 on the other there does not appear to be much appetite to buy the market much above 4310 either. This is making for a rather constipated (or did I mean constrained) trading range of about 40 points from 4270 to 4310.
With no way through to the down side you would have to gauge that the odds favour a move back up this morning especially as there is nothing particularly worrying to be released today or over the weekend.
In the face of no particular bad news out there combined with the fact that we are sitting on support rather than resistance dealers may be forgiven for considering the danger of holding short positions to be higher than holding longs.
Again this argument is dependent on some action getting going in the morning session. The longer we go on below 4310 the more worried the longs will become. I fear that if we are still under this mark this afternoon then we may see an increasing flow of position reductions.
Even the Dow and S&P seem to be moribund with no appetite to sell the S&P 500 below 900 or the Dow Jones below 8400. Whilst there was a late rally last night it must be commented that it was not particularly confidence inspiring. Also, it has not triggered any kind of follow through over night or this morning.
Spread Betting on Indices, 18 June 2009
The FTSE has made a brave attempt to break out below 4300 and is, indeed just below this level as I write.
However, even though the support range of 4280 to 4300 was actually breached yesterday there was absolutely no follow through at all. We remain in a sort of limbo of fear versus opportunity.
The close last night should have brought out the technical traders in early activity this morning but the temptation to see this as a buying level is very strong. It would not be surprising to see a steady stream of small scale buying edging us back above the support line to recover the promised land of the 4300 to 4500 trading range.
The Dow Jones, Gold, Crude Oil and S&P 500 are bouncing from last night’s close. Whilst the FTSE is struggling to follow suit, it is one thing to suggest a lagging or muted reaction to events elsewhere and quite another to speculate on the UK index actually falling while others rally.
Spread Betting on Indices, 17 June 2009
Markets looked sour yesterday but for all the huffing and puffing the FTSE yet again failed to break out of the strangle hold of (roughly) 4300-4500.
This morning sees the cash market called lower at 4310 but this is well above the closing level in out-of-hours trading last night of 4285. The US and Far East were weak but not weak enough to force such a major test.
Our financial spread clients have taken the fall to the 4300 level as another buying opportunity and they are now sitting on some hefty positions. Not just in the indices but also in the individual stocks.
Client positions in equities are now 11-1 longs vs shorts which is well above the normal 5-1 or 6-1. Only once before have we seen such a large disparity between longs and shorts and that was back in the summer of 2007 when, at the market peak, the level reached over 15-1.
While it is very tempting to state that the support levels will hold and the markets will bounce back up again I am always mindful of my favourite saying about the markets. “The price will always move in the direction which causes the greatest amount of pain to the greatest number of people”.
Yes that is a rather miserable dictum but one which encapsulates the idea that it is not the weight of money in one direction which determines a price trend it is the ‘flow’ of money. If everyone who wants to be long...is long...then who is left to buy the market higher?
Traders will be eyeing the 4280 to 4300 level like hawks as any successful break through this support area could be very bad news indeed.
Spread Betting on Indices, 16 June 2009
The markets are doing their best this morning. No follow through to the selling of yesterday morning/afternoon has materialised so far.
Traders are buying heavily into the fall and gambling on the 4300 support in the FTSE 100 holding steady. On probabilities it has to be admitted that this is the most likely outcome of the latest move as there is really not enough factual data to indicate either a significant break out to the downs side.
The indices remain well and truly stuck, much to our financial spread clients’ glee. Current trading patterns are almost like taking candy from a baby.
For indices traders, the last six weeks has been a matter of selling any moves above 4480 and buying any fall below 4350. The same could be said for the currencies.
Spread Betting on Indices, 15 June 2009
Monday morning and markets look to be on the soft side. The FTSE looks to be opening below the trend line support in place since the start of the rally in March and day traders will be watching to see whether there is any follow through that might confirm the break lower.
The opening call is for the market to open some 40 points lower at around 4420 but we are seeing heavy selling in pre-market action.
Over and above the break of the trend line, the overall trading range is defined as the 4300 to 4500 barriers to any move in either direction.
As I write, the market opens and the initial move is much more aggressive than at first expected with trading hitting as low as 4369 in a frantic first few minutes.
There is some support around the 4350 area as well which may hold for a while at least but below here the bears will definitely be looking for a test of the major 4290 – 4310 support.
Will we finally have a direction to get our teeth into or will the ranges hold again? Over the last few weeks the 4500 resistance has seemed in imminent danger of giving way only to hold steady at the last. Until we close below 4300 the betting is still on another buying opportunity in the low 4300’s.
A quick nod at the charts shows that the FTSE 100 has not only underperformed the remainder of the Major Markets (a key theme last week) but is not the only one to have possibly clicked from bull to neutral.
The Dow Jones is struggling to break above 8900 (or even close above 8800), the S&P 500 has pushed above 950 four times but has failed on each occasion to retain a finger hold. The DAX 30 has recorded a whole series of lower trading highs over the past two weeks. This is not evidence that an end to the current bull play has happened but it is a possible indication that dealers should beware a significant pull back.
Price update:
The FTSE 100 closed last week up 3.4 points at 4442 (up 0.08%)
Wall St (Dow) closed last week up 36.13 points at 8799.26 (up 0.41%)
The Nasdaq closed last week up 9.38 points at 1858.8 (up 0.51%)
The S&P 500 closed last week up 6.12 points at 946.21 (up 0.65%)
The DAX closed last week down -7.79 points at 5069.24 (down -0.15%)
The Nikkei closed last week up 367.81 points at 10135.82 (up 3.77%)
It depends upon what you mean by free. If you're looking for a free Demo Account where you can practice spread trading see below.
Tax Free. If you are looking for a free spread betting platform then don't forget that in the UK spread betting is tax free*
You can also spread bet on FTSE 100, Dow Jones and other Indices commission free and with no brokers fees at:
Free Demo Account
If you're looking for a free Practice Account / Test Account where you can trial spread betting, including Indices markets like FTSE 100, FTSE 250, S&P, Nasdaq, DAX etc then you can you can always try:
Each of the above currently offers a free demo account.
How to Spread Bet on Indices?
As with many financial markets, you can spread bet on the future price of Indices. Ie, you can financial spread trade on Indices, like the FTSE 100, increasing or decreasing.
Currently the FTSE 100 (March) market is at 6682 - 6686 with FinancialSpreads.com. This price expires on 21-Mar-08.
Therefore you can financial spread trade on the FTSE 100 settling:
Above 6686, or
Below 6682
By the expiry date of 21-Mar-08.
For the FTSE 100 price, you trade in £X per point, where a point is 1 point of FTSE 100 movement. For example if your stake was £6 per point and the FTSE 100 moves 4 points then that would be a £24 difference to your profits.
FTSE 100 Trading Example
Let's say, taking the above spread of 6682 - 6686 that you have done your research and you think that the FTSE 100 should go up to more than 6686 by 21-Mar-08.
Therefore you buy at 6686 for a stake of £3 per point.
If by the closing date the Index closes at 6698.
Then your profit/loss is worked out by taking the difference between the closing level, ie 6698 and the price you bought at, namely 6686 and then multiplying that by the stake per point of movement.
Profits = (6698 - 6686) x £3 per point stake.
= 12 points x £3 per point stake.
= £36 profit.
But if the market didn't move as you originally forecast and had the FTSE 100 gone against you and the price finished at a lower value of 6670, then you would have made a loss.
Loss = (6670 - 6686) x £3 per point stake.
= -16 points x £3 per point stake.
= -£48 loss.
More Indices Examples
Where can I Find Free Live Prices on Indices?
If you want to access quick live market information then you could do worse than opening an account with a firm like Financial Spreads.
Also, you don't have to trade with them, if you just open an account (which is free to do) then their data is free. The catch? You'll get the odd email or letter from them. In the example below you can also see that their free charts are also useful.
As mentioned above, you can get free charts with spread betting companies like Financial Spreads.
You can alter the charts to see market data by the minute, by the hour, by the week etc, plus many other settings to help you analyse the charts.
As you can see the charts show how the market's are not perfect and how you can expect the prices to "gap".
FinancialSpreads.com also have another pretty handy tool in their free Demo account (mentioned above). You can open a Demo account and place demo trades whilst you practice with no risk or cost attached.
Index Spread Betting Markets
Each spread betting company offer their own specific markets however a number of the companies will offer most, if not all, of the following:
Where can I find Free Indices Trading Platforms / Software?
Some of the trading firms offer software / trading platforms you have to download but most offer free web based platforms that allow easier access from home, the office and most other places with Internet Access.
The following also offer free live prices and charts:
Risk Warning: Spread betting carries a high level of risk to your capital. You may lose more than your initial investment. It may not be suitable for all investors. Only speculate with money that you can afford to lose. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved and seek independent financial advice where necessary.
'Indices Spread Betting' by DB, updated 02-Jul-09
For related pages also see:
Indices Spread Betting, updated 02-Jul-09
Where to find the best Indices Spread Betting value? compare Indices spreads like the FTSE 100, Dow Jones and Nasdaq. The latest Index spread trading news, where to find free Indices charts and...read article. Indices Trading, updated 12-Jun-09
Compare Indices spreads. Free indices trading information, where to find free Indices charts and prices, how to buy and sell Indices and...read article. Spread Trading Indices, updated 30-Jun-09
Your guide to indices spread trading, regular indices articles, spreads comparison tables and your questions answered, where to find free indices trading, free charts, live prices and more...read article. FTSE 100 Spread Betting, updated 01-Jul-09
FTSE 100 trading information, where to find free FTSE 100 charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the FTSE 100...read article. S&P 500 Spread Betting, updated 01-Jul-09
S&P 500 trading information, where to find free S&P 500 charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the S&P 500...read article. Dow Jones Spread Betting, updated 01-Jul-09
Dow Jones trading information, where to find free Dow Jones charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the Dow Jones...read article. Nikkei 225 Spread Betting, updated 01-Jul-09
Nikkei 225 trading information, where to find free Nikkei 225 charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the Nikkei 225...read article. FTSE Spread Betting, updated 01-Jul-09
FTSE trading information, where to find free FTSE charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the FTSE...read article. Wall Street Spread Betting, updated 01-Jul-09
Wall Street trading information, where to find free Wall Street charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the Wall Street...read article. Nasdaq 100 Spread Betting, updated 01-Jul-09
Nasdaq 100 trading information, where to find free Nasdaq 100 charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the Nasdaq 100...read article. S&P Spread Betting, updated 01-Jul-09
S&P trading information, where to find free S&P charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the S&P...read article. Russ 2K Spread Betting, updated 01-Jul-09
Russ 2K trading information, where to find free Russ 2K charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the Russ 2K...read article. Euro Stoxx 50 Spread Betting, updated 01-Jul-09
Euro Stoxx 50 trading information, where to find free Euro Stoxx 50 charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the Euro Stoxx 50...read article. CAC Spread Betting, updated 02-Jul-09
CAC trading information, where to find free CAC charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the CAC...read article. Jo Burg Spread Betting, updated 02-Jul-09
Jo Burg trading information, where to find free Jo Burg charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the Jo Burg...read article. AEX Index Spread Betting, updated 02-Jul-09
AEX Index trading information, where to find free AEX Index charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the AEX Index...read article. Swiss SMI Spread Betting, updated 02-Jul-09
Swiss SMI trading information, where to find free Swiss SMI charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the Swiss SMI...read article. Dax Spread Betting, updated 02-Jul-09
Dax trading information, where to find free Dax charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the Dax...read article. FTSE 250 Spread Betting, updated 02-Jul-09
FTSE 250 trading information, where to find free FTSE 250 charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the FTSE 250...read article. Nasdaq Spread Betting, updated 02-Jul-09
Nasdaq trading information, where to find free Nasdaq charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the Nasdaq...read article. Euro Stoxx Spread Betting, updated 02-Jul-09
Euro Stoxx trading information, where to find free Euro Stoxx charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the Euro Stoxx...read article. Dax 30 Spread Betting, updated 02-Jul-09
Dax 30 trading information, where to find free Dax 30 charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the Dax 30...read article. CAC 40 Spread Betting, updated 02-Jul-09
CAC 40 trading information, where to find free CAC 40 charts and prices, how to spread bet on Indices, including the CAC 40...read article. Indices Spread Trading May 2009, updated 22-May-09
Index market news: From a technical point of view the FTSE has formed a perfect 'double top' around the 4500 mark which sometimes indicates that we will continue lower. However the bulls may not have...read article. Indices Spread Betting May 2009, updated 08-May-09
Index market news: So the FTSE is a little perky this morning and we're back around the 4450 mark. The test for the market now is whether it has the momentum to keep going and breach the 4500 level and close above it recording a new 2009 high. The recent rally has...read article. Indices Spread Trading April 2009, updated 24-Apr-09
Index market news: Anyone spread betting would seldom have had such a favourable market situation and many have been taken good advantage of the constrained ranges to make money on...read article. Indices Spread Betting April 2009, updated 10-Apr-09
Index market news: Relief that the supports all held yesterday has given a boost to traders this morning and buyers are continuing to fill up on stock. Early calls in the FTSE 100 were for a move...read article. Indices Spread Trading March 2009, updated 27-Mar-09
Index market news: The FTSE 100 is still constrained by the 4000 level, even though we had an attempt on it late on Monday. 4000 and 4050 also has quite a bit of legacy volume resistance and failed...read article. Indices Spread Betting March 2009, updated 13-Mar-09
Index market news: The DAX 30 was briefly trading underneath the FTSE 100 towards the end of...read article. Indices Spread Trading February 2009, updated 27-Feb-09
Index market news: Weakness throughout the late afternoon and evening sessions weighed heavily on the markets yesterday after a bright start and the FTSE 100 is now back in...read article. Indices Spread Betting February 2009, updated 13-Feb-09
Index market news: The Dow had the most impressive try for freedom breaking through the support mentioned yesterday at 7850 to get as low as 7695, down over 200, before...read article. Indices Spread Bets January 2009, updated 31-Jan-09
Index market news: The market is unlikely to be exactly exciting this morning as there are virtually no corporate announcements and the treasury data releases confined to money supply numbers. It will be no surprise if...read article. Indices Spread Trading January 2009, updated 16-Jan-09
Index market news: Another day another decline and 4000 is looming. Yesterday we recorded the longest losing streak since 2004 as the news flow descends into...read article. Indices Spread Betting January 2009, updated 02-Jan-09
Index market news: Today traders are pushing the markets up in the usual first day rally and the FTSE is grinding its way up. The view of the charts is that...read article. Indices Spread Trading December 2008, updated 19-Dec-08
Index market news: The value in world terms of the FTSE indices has taken a real battering over the last few months. We might think that the FTSE 100 has rallied 18% from...read article. Indices Spread Betting December 2008, updated 05-Dec-08
Index market news: Markets continue to jump around all over the place but the total effect seems to be very little. After the close at 16.30 yesterday the FTSE futures market initially traded almost...read article. Indices Spread Trading November 2008, updated 21-Nov-08
Index market news: The S+P 500 is now almost exactly 50% from the highs of October '07. For those of you who think that investment mangers are actually any good at all at their jobs it is instructive to point out that this high was reached many months after...read article. Indices Spread Betting November 2008, updated 07-Nov-08
Index market news: The FTSE 100 is being called some 30 points to the good at around 4300 having traded as low as 4150 last night. It is probably inadvisable to...read article. Indices Spread Trading October 2008, updated 26-Oct-08
Index market news: The bottom has well and truly been snipped out of the markets this morning and we are looking at a near 200 point fall in the FTSE on the open. The FTSE 100 is now back at the support levels mentioned yesterday...read article. Indices Spread Betting October 2008, updated 10-Oct-08
Index market news: Today looks to be starting off as a complete bloodbath. The FTSE 100 is being called an astonishing 300 points lower on the open which will mean a massive 7% off yesterday?s close. The news that...read article. Indices Spread Trading September 2008, updated 26-Sep-08
Index market news: The FTSE is looking to open at around 5135 and investors will be hoping that there is no follow through to attack the 5050 support. In reality we are likely to see low volumes causing volatile moves as liquidity on the Futures exchange...read article. Indices Spread Betting September 2008, updated 12-Sep-08
Index market news: This morning the Miners are leading the way. They are all up around 4% to 5% and the sector remains an incredibly important supporting factor for the FTSE 100. Miners have fallen some...read article. Indices Spread Trade August 2008, updated 29-Aug-08
Index market news: If the FTSE maintains these levels to close the week above 5600 then that could be seen as a good indication that higher prices are to come. However, this week's move has been on the back of low volume so investors remain...read article. Indices Spread Betting August 2008, updated 15-Aug-08
Index market news: Trading ranges over the last month have been exceptional in the US spread betting markets with 250 points a day being quite normal for the Dow. The trend since mid July has...read article. Indices Spread Trading July 2008, updated 01-Aug-08
Index market news: The FTSE is opening 50 points lower after the late action in the US (again) and our...read article. Indices Spread Betting July 2008, updated 18-Jul-08
Index market news: The FTSE is looking to open around 50 points to the good this morning some 140 points off the lows at Midday yesterday but this still only leaves us at around the closing price of Tuesday and well below...read article. Indices Financial Spread Bet July 2008, updated 04-Jul-08
Indices market news: The danger of jumping in now of course is that it could well be a little too early. The temptation must be great considering the market the FTSE has fallen some 900 points (14%) in the last 6 weeks, the old adage...read article. Indices Financial Spread Trading June 2008, updated 20-Jun-08
Indices market news: Precious little reason to get involved on the buy side these days has left the FTSE 500 points off from the highs of last month. But with the foreign legions of mining and oil still propping us up to a certain extent there have been moments of light. Unfortunately for...read article. Indices Financial Spread Betting June 2008, updated 06-Jun-08
Indices market news: With a new scent of confidence around even a poor number may be taken in the markets stride. In the meantime we do not expect much activity in the morning session after the opening levels are secured. The call on the FTSE 100 is for a rally to around 6025, 30 points higher than the close yesterday. The support at 5950 remains...read article. Indices Spread Bet May 2008, updated 23-May-08
Indices market news: The FTSE 100 is struggling to maintain current levels as more sellers coming into the game over the past few days. The squeeze up to 6390 of last week now seems a distant memory but of course dealers are generally hopeful of...read article. Indices Trading May 2008, updated 09-May-08
Indices market news: Indices are a tad weaker after the US indulged in one of its late night sell offs with the Dow Jones dropping 200 points from its highs and the S&P giving up on the 1400 level for now. The FTSE is called to come in 30 points lower at around...read article. Indices Trading April 2008, updated 25-Apr-08
Indices market news: The trading range of the FTSE almost exactly matched the previous days efforts with the ultimate result also almost identical. The markets continue to wrestle with the 5970 to 6100 range and my comment about many traders waiting for one or the other to be defeated still remains in place. Yesterdays action was an absolute boon to FinancialSpreads.com clients who as mentioned in yesterdays comment have been heavy sellers at anything above...read article. Indices Spread Bets April 2008, updated 11-Apr-08
Indices markets: Despite slightly negative taint to todays report, the FTSE 100 this morning has opened much better than expected causing a Gap higher on the open. Yesterdays reversal from the lows at around 3pm yesterday was so sharp and took many Financial Spreads clients by surprise that it could be a signal that...read article. Indices March Spread Trading, updated 28-Mar-08
Indices markets: The FTSE 100 is likely to open almost unchanged at around the 5710 level having looked weaker overnight in the US late trading session but deciding, on reflection, to hold onto the gains of yesterday. As mentioned in yesterdays comment there is a small sense of confidence brewing with our Capital Spreads clients, not huge, but enough to be noticeable on our books. The next...read article. Indices March Spread Betting, updated 14-Mar-08
Indices market information: The FTSE is reacting to the 400 point rally in the Dow last night with another 80 points to the upside as we regain the 5700 level with some ease. The FTSE 100 Spread is now at 5775-5776. Financial institutions are likely to be...read article. Indices February Spread Trading, updated 29-Feb-08
Indices market information: Another 100+ point movement day on the FTSE yesterday as the markets rejected the break out (again) and slumped back below 6000. To their credit the Financial Spreads clients never believed in the break out and sold virtually anything above the 6000 level and were rewarded in...read article. Real-time Indices Prices and Charts, updated 15-Feb-08
Indices pricing information: The FTSE rather disappointed yesterday after a very late sell off took us from 30 or so up on the day into negative territory. Today we are looking to come in just slightly to the downside at around the 5875 level. There is hope that...read article. UK Indices Spread Trading, updated 01-Feb-08
UK Indices Spread Trading: The FTSE 100 Spread is called 30 up this morning at 5910-5911 which is just below a bit of a resistance level at 5920. For all of the bad news around it is wise to remember that...read article. Spread Betting on Indices, updated 18-Jan-08
Compare Indices spreads. Free Indices spread trading information, where to find free Indices charts and prices, how to spread bet on Stock Market Indices and...read article. Indices Trading Online, updated 21-Dec-07
Find out where you can Trade Indices Online for free plus your Indices trading questions answered, tips on getting free Indices charts, real time prices and...read article. Indices Futures Trading, updated 07-Dec-07
Where to trade Indices Futures plus updated Indices trading news and the most popular Indices questions answered....read article. Indices Broker, updated 23-Nov-07
Where to find free Indices Brokers plus regular Indices financial trading news as well as the most popular Indices questions answered....read article. Indices Platform, updated 09-Nov-07
Where to find free Indices Platforms plus updated Indices trading news as well as the most popular Indices queries answered....read article. Indices Software, updated 26-Oct-07
Where to find free Indices Software information plus updated Indices trading news as well as the most popular Indices queries answered....read article. Indices Prices, updated 04-Feb-08
Where to find free Indices Prices plus updated Indices news as well as your top Indices questions answered....read article. Selling the FTSE 100, updated 12-Dec-08
Q) Where can I Trade for Free on FTSE 100? Q) How to Spread Bet on FTSE 100? Q) Where can I find Free Live Prices on FTSE 100?...The Answers...read article. Financial Spread Bet on Wall Street, updated 11-Dec-08
Q) Where can I Trade for Free on Wall Street? Q) How to Spread Bet on Wall Street? Q) Where can I find Free Live Prices on Wall Street? The Answers...read article. Spread Bet on Stock Market Indices, updated 01-Dec-08
To spread bet on stock market indices you do so in the same way as other spreads bets. A number of spread betting firms offer both a daily and futures Index market...read article. How to Spread Bet Stock Market Indices, updated 22-Jan-09
How to Spread Bet on Indices - an introduction to stock market betting. If you are looking for FTSE, Dow Jones, DAX or another major market like the NASDAQ and Nikkei, you're on the right website...read article.
Q) Average Trading Results?
A) Get free spread betting tips, offers, price updates, important news and more! All Free - Click here!
Risk Warning: Spread betting carries a high level of risk to your capital and you may lose more than your initial investment. It may not be suitable for all investors. Only speculate with money that you can afford to lose. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved and seek independent financial advice where necessary.
* Tax law is subject to change or may differ if you pay tax in a jurisdiction other than the UK.
