The UK’s leading index continues to be up on the day, trading at 5342 points with resource stocks continuing to dominate.

Cairn Energy remains out in front, now up 20.70p (+6.49) at 330.5p, with Royal Dutch Shell ‘A’ and ‘B’ close behind, up 2.62% and 2.72% respectively at 2.50pm (London time).

Also among the winners is the London Stock Exchange. The exchange has announced that it will take a 60% stake in the Turquoise trading platform. Originally setup as a rival to the LSE’s own platform, Turquoises ‘dark pool’ trading platform will assist the LSE in trading large amounts of shares without alerting complicated computer algorithms of the transactions. The ability to move large amount of shares will also help the exchange compete with the bigger European players. Currently the London Stock Exchange is up 18p (+2.55) at 724p.

Across the Atlantic today’s GDP figures show that the US economy has expanded at a slower-than-expected amount. Economists had been expecting a 2.8-2.9% growth in third-quarter GDP figures released this morning. The figure revised figure came in at 2.2% for the July to September period and indicated that the pace of recovery is not as fast as many had expected.

At the opening bell US stock markets showed some resilience to these disappointing GDP figures. By 3.20pm (London time), the Dow Jones Industrial Average had risen and was trading up 44.06 points (+0.42%) at 10458.20, while the broader S&P 500 was also up 5.42 points (+0.49%). The Nasdaq was also in positive territory, up 10.32 points (+0.46%) to 2247.98.

Among the winners in the Dow Jones were technology giants Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard, up $0.30 (+0.98%) and $0.55 (+1.06%) respectively. Aviation heavyweight Boeing led the pack, trading at $55.25 after it bought Finmeccanica’s share of the 787 Dreamliner fuselage plant in the US. This will give the aviation giant greater control of the delayed aeroplane’s production.

Also among the winners was Home Depot, up $0.28 at $29.24. Accounting for this was this morning’s release of positive housing data. November’s Existing Home Sales report showed sales of previously owned homes surging. The National Association of Realtors revealed that sales had risen 7.4% to an annual rate of 6.54 million units, the highest rise in over two years, and higher than the 6.25 million units that was expected. This was the third straight increase of note, as buyers looked to take advantage of the expiring federal tax credit.

By Peter Martin, Director, Client Education and Training, IG Index.

Risk Warning: Spread betting carries a high level of risk to your capital. You may lose more than your initial investment. It may not be suitable for all investors. Only speculate with money that you can afford to lose. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved and seek independent financial advice where necessary.

The above comments do not constitute investment advice and neither IG Index nor Spread-Betting.org accept any responsibility for any use that may be made of them.

IG Index is Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, register number 114059.