MARKETS: (DATA COMPILED BY THE OUTSOURCED MARKETING DEPARTMENT)

October reflected contrary investor sentiment in global equities with the UK’s FTSE100 gaining just short of 1% (0.8%), ending October at 6,954.22, whilst mid-month falling just 6.48 points short of its all-time high. The wider FTSE250 managed to slip by 1.83% to 17,544.2 and the junior AIM market seeing just a small lift of 0.38% to 822.2.

Possibly reflecting the uncertainty surrounding the forthcoming Presidential elections, the American markets turned negative with the Dow Jones finishing October at 18,142.42, down 0.91% and the technology based Nasdaq losing 2.31% to close at 5,189.13.

Over in Japan, the Nikkei225 staged a recovery from its recent downward trend, gaining an impressive 5.93% to close out the month at 17,425.02, whilst in Europe the Eurostoxx50 also fared well, finishing at 3,055.25, for a lift of 1.77%.

Once again, Sterling was unloved on the foreign exchanges losing a further 5.43% in the month against the US Dollar to $1.22 and 3.48% against the Euro at €1.11. Against the greenback, the world’s most widely held reserve currency, Sterling has fallen now by 17.01% since the turn of the year, primarily as a result of the ‘Brexit’ economic uncertainty. Meanwhile, the US Dollar improved 1.79% against the Euro to $1.10.

Oil, as measured by the Brent Crude benchmark, had another volatile month, touching $52.67 at one point in October, on hopes of an OPEC production ceiling, but the price fell away at the close of the month to finish at $48.30. Gold investors stayed away in October with the precious metal slipping to $1,276.71 a troy ounce to record a loss of 2.98%, although it is still up 19.06% since the turn of the year.

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