Traders hang fire ahead of US job market data

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%, or 9.81 points, higher 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 up 2.6 points, or 1.78%, to 148.55p yesterday. The FTSE 100 was 0.24% higher this morning, up t...