FTSE 100 takes the lead in Europe as Brent rebounds back above $83

Around this time of the day early US players would normally be joining the markets, but of course the US markets are closed today and so they will not. It has been generally very quiet and perhaps even quieter than usual, even on such a day. The FTSE 100 is currently outgunning the rest of the European stock markets, as it edges past 7,725. Meantime, the Nasdaq 100 has and Dow Jones futures are edging lower and the DAX is not far off session lows too. Oil prices are higher now, with Brent back above $83 and the GBP/USD is not making progress. Both those factors might be helping the FTSE 100 as it prepares to greet those bank stock earnings this week. If they are better than forecast, then it could help the index to underpin its current breakout move. We should not forget that the index is packed with such stocks and their significant underperformance in recent months is one reason why the FTSE 100 has failed to match the record gains seen in Europe and the US.