Markets: positive news pushes FTSE 100 higher
In yesterday's markets, the FTSE 100 saw further gains, adding 0.6% after upbeat economic news and strong corporate results.
FTSE 100 up 0.6% to 6,709
Gold up 0.9% to $1,196.99/oz
£/$ - 1.5633
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
The FTSE 100 saw further gains yesterday, adding 0.6% after upbeat economic news and strong corporate results
Tullow Oil was the day's highest climber, up 3.6%. Other top performers included British Sky Broadcasting, which rose 3%, and Randgold, which was 2.5% higher.
In European markets, the Paris CAC 40 rose 36 points to 4,262, and the German Xetra Dax added 150 points to 9,456.
In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2% to 17,687, the S&P 500 gained 0.5% to 2,051, and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.7% to 4,702.
Overnight in Japan, the Nikkei 225 fell 0.3% to 17,288, and the broader Topix rose 0.1% to 1,396. And in China, the Shanghai Composite and the CSI 300 each slipped 0.2% to 2,450 and 2,537 respectively.
Brent spot was trading at $78.30 early today, and in New York, crude oil was at $73.99. Spot gold was trading at $1,199 an ounce, silver was at $16.23 and platinum was at $1,205.
In the forex markets this morning, sterling was trading against the US dollar at 1.5611 and against the euro at 1.2447. The dollar was trading at 0.7973 against the euro and 117.38 against the Japanese yen.
And today, Royal Mail reported a fall in profits for the first half of the year. Pre-tax profits for the six months to 28 September fell to £218m, down from £233m for the same period last year.
David Stevenson, former MoneyWeek writer and director of The Fleet Street Letter, believessilver could be about to start a record climb. Click here(capital at risk)to read about the three irresistible forces David believes could push the price of silver through the roof.
Sign up for MoneyWeek's newsletters
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
-
Is the AI boom another dotcom bubble?
25 years on from the dotcom bubble bursting, is it time for investors to consider the sustainability of the AI boom in the stock market?
By Dan McEvoy Published
-
What is the S&P 500?
The S&P 500 is one of the world’s most popular stock market indices and has almost tripled in value over the last decade. But what is the S&P 500, and which companies does it contain?
By Daniel Hilton Published