Greater London, England -- (SBWire) -- 01/19/2011 -- Financial spread betting provider City Index (http://www.cityindex.co.uk/) looks at the financial news affecting traders on 17th January, with the FTSE set to open robustly and a public holiday in the USA.

Individuals with a spread betting account may have found today (January 17th) to have limited activity, although the FTSE 100 was set to open robustly.

As of 06:24 GMT, Reuters reported the FTSE 100 was expected to open between one and four points higher by spread betters, but trading within the financial markets is expected to be limited.

A public holiday in the USA and few announcements regarding economic or corporate data means today will be a "quiet day", the international news agency asserted.

Spread betting accounts therefore may have reduced activity today, although a lack of action could allow traders to assess their next step for when the financial markets become busier.

The holiday to celebrate Martin Luther King Junior means the US markets will not be in action until tomorrow.

However, following its expected positive opening, as of 06:46 GMT the FTSE 100 was down 21.81, marking a move away from the so-far day's high of 6,031.74.

Individuals involved with spread betting also predicted France's CAC-40 to open between nine and 14 points higher, while expectations abound for a six to nine points higher start for Germany's DAX, Reuters added.

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About City Index
Today more and more individual traders are discovering the benefits of derivatives, and many of them are discovering them through a City Index trading platform.

As a group, we transact in excess of 1.5 million trades every month for individuals in over 50 countries worldwide. We provide access to a wide range of instruments including margined foreign exchange, contracts for differences (CFDs) and, in the UK, spread betting.

We constantly look to widen the range of assets we offer, improve the performance of our platforms and expand the range of services we provide. The result is that our customers spread bet using innovative trading tools with transparent pricing, competitive spreads, and a high standard of customer service and support.

Contracts for differences (“CFD”) trading and financial spread betting carries a high level of risk to your capital with the possibility of losing more than your initial investment and may not be suitable for all investors. Ensure you fully understand the risks involved and seek independent advice if necessary. For more information, visit http://www.cityindex.co.uk/.