Good morning. The tone at the open looks decisively upbeat, with early spread-betting signals pointing to a 61-point lift for the Footsie on Monday—enough to haul the index back above the psychologically important 10,000 mark.
Markets have started the day with a sharp burst of energy, led by a renewed surge in precious metals. Gold is up more than 2% this morning at $4,420 an ounce, edging back towards the record highs struck late last year as investors seek protection amid rising global unease.
Silver is stealing even more of the spotlight. Prices are higher by around 4% at $75.50 an ounce, extending what has already been a powerful run in 2025 and reinforcing the metal’s reputation as the high-octane cousin of gold.
Energy markets are telling a different story. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, has slipped 0.67% to $60.34 a barrel, suggesting supply concerns are being tempered—for now—despite the broader geopolitical backdrop.
Currency markets reflect a cautious tilt. The US dollar is firmer, up 0.25% against a basket of major peers, signalling a modest move back into perceived safety.
Digital assets, however, remain firmly in “risk-on” mode. Bitcoin has climbed almost 1.5% this morning to $92,495, building on gains from the weekend as investors continue to treat the world’s largest cryptocurrency as both a speculative play and, increasingly, a geopolitical hedge.
The spark has come from Asia, where a tech-led rally rolled on and stretched last year’s AI-fuelled momentum into the new year. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index surged 1.5% to a fresh record, driven by heavyweight chip names including Samsung Electronics and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.
