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CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved.

FTSE 100 futures: UK market finds its footing despite record daily death toll

IG’s pre-market FTSE 100 price estimates indicated that the index has found support above 5,700.

Source: Bloomberg

UK benchmark FTSE 100 index is trading flat in pre-market hours on Thursday 09 April, based on IG data.

IG's pre-market FTSE 100 price estimates showed the index moving sideways along a price level of 5,715.0 as at 05:30 GMT, despite the UK’s daily Covid-19 death toll surpassing 900 for the first time in the National Health Service’s most recent update.

FTSE 100 index broke through 5,700 on Tuesday

The Footsie has seen decent gains in recent days, following an easing of oil price war tensions between Saudi Arabia and Russia, as well as a slowdown in coronavirus infections across the UK and other major European markets and hotspots last weekend.

On Tuesday 07 April, the index broke through the 5,700 ceiling to hit a two-week high of 5,738.2. It has since retraced slightly, but has managed to maintain some stability above 5,600 – its former resistance level.

On Wednesday 08 April, IG UK chief market analyst Chris Beauchamp had written that a move back above 5,700 is required for there to be ‘a continued positive view’ for the FTSE.

‘Below 5,570 a more neutral view emerges, targeting 5,500. Further below this, the 5,350 zone comes into play, which acted as support in late March and early April,’ he wrote.

IG offers weekend trading options for the FTSE 100 Index and other major indices. Buy long or sell short on the FTSE 100 via CFDs and other instruments provided by IG's market-leading trading solution. Open an IG account today.

For now, the bear case appears to be in the rear-view mirror, with FTSE 100 futures having sustained a post-5,700 level for the last 12 hours.

Top Wednesday gainers on the London Stock Exchange were: travel and leisure company Whitbread (+9.08%), broadcast group ITV (+7.16%), investment bank Hargreaves Lansdown (+5.26%), computer and software services firm Aveva Group (+5.18%) and metals and mining giant Evraz (+5.16%).

Weekend UK 100 hinging on coronavirus and oil updates

The FTSE 100 index has recovered nearly 8% since last weekend but is still down roughly 27% from pre-coronavirus levels.

The coming days will be telling for the FTSE 100’s near-term performance, with Saudi Arabia and Russia reportedly set to discuss production cuts that US President Donald Trump had hinted could amount to 10 million barrels a day.

Furthermore, a new Bloomberg report suggested that there were more coronavirus-related deaths in the UK than the government has been able to track. It stated that the Office for National Statistics reported a total of 1,649 Covid-19 deaths up to 27 March, while the Department of Health and Social Care found a much lower number of 926 deaths in the same period.

What is weekend trading?

Weekend trading gives you access to forex, indices (such as the weekend UK 100) and cryptocurrency markets on a Saturday and Sunday. So, if news breaks about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic – or central bank measures to ease the strain on global markets are announced – you no longer need to wait until markets open on Monday to trade.

The weekend prices for indices and forex are quoted separately to their weekday counterparts, based on our view of the prospects for that market given client business and news flow. As a result, you can use these markets to hedge against risk on your weekday positions. Weekend indices and forex positions will rollover into regular weekday positions if they are kept open after the Sunday close, with any stops or limits remaining in place.

Buy long or sell short on the Weekend UK 100 by trading CFDs and other instruments provided by IG's market-leading solution. Open an IG account today.

This information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Australia Pty Ltd. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients.

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