Markets: FTSE 100 stumbles into 2016

published 4 January 2016

FTSE 100 down 0.5% to 6,242
Gold flat at $1,061.42/oz
£/$ - 1.4746

Credit checker Experian and utility National Grid both led the index down with losses of 2%, and Sainsbury's ended the day 1.9% lower. Telecoms giant Vodafone bucked the trend with a 1.5% gain, while retailer Sports Direct and miner Rio Tinto each added 0.7%.

In Europe, the Paris CAC 40 fell 0.9% to 4,637, and the German Xetra Dax lost 1.1% to 10,743.

In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 1% to 17,425, the S&P 500 lost 0.9% to 2,044, and the Nasdaq Composite was 1.2% lower at 5,007.

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

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

Overnight in Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 3.1% to 18,451, and the broader Topix index lost 2.4% to 1,510. And in China, the Shanghai Composite fell 6.9% to 3,296, and the CSI 300 slid 7.0% to 3,469.

Brent spot was trading at $37.56 early today, and in New York, crude oil was at $37.36. Spot gold was trading at $1,071 an ounce, silver was at $13.96 and platinum was at $879.

In the forex markets this morning, sterling was trading against the US dollar at 1.4762 and against the euro at 1.3505. The dollar was trading at 0.9150 against the euro and 118.98 against the Japanese yen.

And in the news, Socit Gnrale has put the odds of Britain voting to leave the European Union at 45%. The French investment bank said an Out' vote would affect growth and wipe 0.5% to 1% off annual GDP until 2026.