Bookmaker sees FTSE 100 hitting 6000 next year

With the FTSE 100 up 50 points this morning it seems apt to look at wagers on its prospects of pushing even higher in 2010.

So far the index of bluechips is up more than 1700 points, or 49%, from a March low point. Extrabet, a sports and financial betting site owned by the IG group, is taking bets on the FTSE 100 touching the 6000 mark in 2010 and sees this as more likely than not.

It is offering odds of 10/11 on the key level being hit. On US crude oil, it is offering odds of 2/1 for prices to touch $100 a barrel next year from around $73.5 now.

Extrabet says odds on the euro and pound parity in 2010 from £0.89/1 euro have taken a "bit of a kicking" and have now dropped to 4/1 from 6/1 last week.