Markets: FTSE 100 edges up ahead of Fed decision

• FTSE 100 up 0.7% to 6,061
• Gold down 1.05% to 1,072.31/oz
• £/$ - 1.5004

FTSE 100

Standard Chartered was the day's top performer, up 6.4%. Pearson added 5.2%, Rolls-Royce gained 4.9% and Shire was 4% higher.

In Europe, the Paris CAC 40 gained 0.2% to 4,624, and the German Xetra Dax added 0.2% to 10,469.

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In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.3% to 17,749, the S&P 500 added 1.5% to 2,073, and the Nasdaq Composite was 1.5% higher at 5,071.

Overnight in Japan, the Nikkei 225 and the broader Topix index each rose 1.6% to 19,353 and 1,564 respectively. And in China, the CSI 300 added 1.9% to 3,755, and the Shanghai Composite rose 1.8% to 3,580.

Brent spot was trading at $37.12 early today, and in New York, crude oil was at $35.30. Spot gold was trading at $1,067 an ounce, silver was at $14.05 and platinum was at $862.

In the forex markets this morning, sterling was trading against the US dollar at 1.4934 and against the euro at 1.3746. The dollar was trading at 0.9204 against the euro and 122.41 against the Japanese yen.

And in the UK, production of new cars rose by 9.3% in November, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, with 150,084 cars made. The number made for export rose by 10.8% to 120,484, while those made for the domestic market rose by 3.4% to 29,600.