Markets: FTSE 100 hit by downbeat data from Europe

FTSE 100 down 0.3% to 6,678

Gold up 0.94% to $1,193.88/oz

£/$ - 1.5692

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The FTSE 100 slipped back yesterday after poor economic data from the eurozone dented investor confidence.

Commodity stocks were among the worst hit. Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton were the day's biggest fallers, each losing 2.6%. Anglo American was 2.2% lower, and Glencore fell 1.6%.

In European markets, the Paris CAC 40 fell 32 points to 4,234, and the German Xetra Dax added 11 points to 9,483.

In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 each rose 0.2% to 17,719and 2,052 respectively, and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.6% to 4,701.

Overnight in Japan, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.3% to 17,357, and the broader Topix rose 0.2% to 1,400. And in China, the Shanghai Composite rose 1.4% to 2,486, and the CSI 300 was 1.8% higher at 2,583..

Brent spot was trading at $79.71 early today, and in New York, crude oil was at $76.29. Spot gold was trading at $1,192 an ounce, silver was at $16.15 and platinum was at $1,217.

In the forex markets this morning, sterling was trading against the US dollar at 1.5646 and against the euro at 1.2557. The dollar was trading at 0.8026 against the euro and 117.71 against the Japanese yen.

And today, Roll Royce said it has won a $5bn contract to supply engines to 50 new Airbus planes ordered by America's Delta Airlines. Shares were up by 1.5% in today's early trading.

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.

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