The FTSE has made a better fist of it today and is showing strength relative to other major indices. The relatively heavy weighting in energy stocks is pushing the UKs benchmark index higher, with help from resurgent resource stocks such as Antofagasta. Overall though the sun isnt shining on all global equities and the FTSEs gains could easily be erased between now and the close.

Please find below the Morning Report from David Evans, market analyst at BetOnMarkets.com

The half year report card for global stock markets was not one to be proud of. The first half of 2008 was the worst first half to a year for the Dow Jones Industrial Average since 1970, when the index was down 14.60%. The 14.44% decline of 2008 is actually the tenth worse performance since 1900.

Financial markets were a sea of red numbers last week as the classic ‘Fade the Fed’ trade played out. The initial reaction to Wednesday’s US interest rate decision was neutral to positive, then the selling set in and hardly stopped. Thursday’s mini rally did a very poor job of papering over the cracks in the global economy.

It was yet another tough week for global stock markets, with the Dow Jones & S&P 500 declining 3.78% on the week and the FTSE down 3.37%. With oil rallying $4, renewed trouble in the financial sector, downgrades to monoline insurers and trouble in the Middle East, markets encountered an ugly storm on Friday.

Reacting to your P+L is counterproducive and perhaps even detrimental. Here's how to view it usefully. Originally posted May 21, 2008.

Besides the usual “buy low, sell high” strategy of investing in the market, some investors attempt to buy stocks “on dividends.” It is nothing complicated, just spend a few minutes to identify stocks about to issue dividends and then sell it shortly after the ex-dividend date. Ideally, you should make the sale at a profit to your original investment.

The investing environment for oil & gas producers remains bullish in 2008, as record oil prices headline the news almost daily… and analysts see a lot more coming. Since Goldman Sachs predicted a two-year move to $200 in the commodity, people have had renewed confidence in buying up companies that deal with oil, and its cleaner alternative, natural gas.

Buying stocks is one of the most over-hyped activities in the business world today. Online stock brokers allow you to bridge the gap between Wall Street and Main Street, so you can trade stocks in the blink of an eye with just the click of a button.

Before March 2000, in the bull market, whisper numbers were all the rage. In fact, these estimates became so popular for the outlandish pre-”tech bubble” gainers that Wall Street often notched real estimates lower than actual expectations just to be able to “beat the consensus.” Today, earnings whispers are still used, but not as confidently as before.