Markets: the FTSE100 continues to tread water

• FTSE 100 down two points to 6,729
• Gold down 0.25% to $1,197.90/oz
• £/$ - 1.5792

FTSE 100

Commodity stocks were among the best performers. Antofagasta was the day's highest climber, up 3.8%, while Anglo American, Randgold and Fresnillo added between 1.4% and 1%.

In European markets, the Paris CAC 40 fell nine points to 4,373, and the German Xetra Dax rose 54 points to 9,915.

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In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1% to 17,827, the S&P 500 rose 0.3% to 2,072, and the Nasdaq Composite was 0.6% higher at 4,787.

Overnight in Japan, the Nikkei 225 fell 0.8% to 17,248, and the broader Topix lost 1% to 1,391. And in China, the Shanghai Composite gained 1% to 2,630, and the CSI 300 added 1.2% to 2,754.

Brent spot was trading at $76.47 early today, and in New York, crude oil was at $73.00. Spot gold was trading at $1,194 an ounce, silver was at $16.31 and platinum was at $1,215.

In the forex markets this morning, sterling was trading against the US dollar at 1.5782 and against the euro at 1.2643. The dollar was trading at 0.8011 against the euro and 117.44 against the Japanese yen.

And in the UK, the franchise for the East Coast Mainline rail route has been handed to a joint venture between Virgin and Stagecoach. The group will pay the government £3.3bn for the contract, which runs from March 2015 till March 2023. Stagecoach shares were up by 8% 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.