Traders hang fire ahead of US job market data

In the US, trading volumes fell ahead of key job market data to be released later today.

The non-farm payroll figures will give an indication of the health of the economy, and markets remained fairly flat prior to their release. The Dow Jones closed at 10,320 last night, a rise of 0.49% or 50.63 points, while the S&P 500 was 0.91% pr 9.81 points up at 1,090.10. M&A activity continued, with the BBC reporting Chinese investors were considering making a rival bid against mining giant BHP Billiton for fertiliser firm Potash. Its shares on the New York Stock Exchange closed at 2.6 points or 1.78% to 148.55p yesterday. The FTSE 100 was just 0.24% or 13.06 points higher this ...