Markets: FTSE 100 hits two-week high

• FTSE 100 up 0.2% to 6,844
• Gold down 0.27% to $1,178.60
• £/$ - 1.5729

FTSE 100

Supermarkets were among the top performers, with Morrisons adding 2.6% and Sainsbury's up 2.4%. Energy stocks were also in demand Royal Dutch Shell gained 2.3%, and BG Group rose 1.9%. Royal Mail was the day's highest climber, up 2.9%.

In Europe's markets yesterday, the Paris CAC 40 fell 0.2% to 5,045, and the German Xetra Dax was 0.6% lower at 11,471.

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In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 1% to 17,966, the S&P 500 lost 0.7% to 2,108, and the Nasdaq Composite was 0.7% lower at 5,122.

Overnight in Japan, the Nikkei 225 and the broader Topix index each fell 0.5% to 20,771 and 1,670 respectively. And in China, the CSI 300 slumped 3.6% to 4,706, and the Shanghai Composite lost 3.5% to 4,527.

Brent spot was trading at $63.56 early today, and in New York, crude oil was at $60.26. Spot gold was trading at $1,176 an ounce, silver was at $15.84, and platinum was at $1,077.

In the forex markets this morning, sterling was trading against the US dollar at 1.5702 and against the euro at 1.4016. The dollar was trading at 0.8926 against the euro and 123.75 against the Japanese yen.

And in the UK, Debenhams reported a big rise in online sales in the last quarter. Sales via its website rose by 16.7% in the three months to 13 June. But like-for-like sales in its shops saw no change. Analysts had been expecting a decline.