Today's top story: KPMG resigns from role in Grenfell Tower inquiry after backlash
Today's leader: May's reshuffle could offer more than fresh faces
UK stocks are set to open lower this morning contrasting with overnight fortunes of Asian counterparts and expected seven-week highs in Germany.
The FTSE 100 is seen six points down by analysts at 7,718. This compares with Germany's Dax, expected to start at 13,386, some 67 points up. France’s Cac is seen 16 points higher at 5,486 by LCG analysts.
With Japanese bourses shut, the MSCI Asia Pacific excluding Japan flirted with all-time highs. The index hit 588.55, close to the 591.55 hit in November 2007 – this was after rising 3.1 per cent last week.
US earnings season kicks off this week fresh from the Dow Jones hitting all-time highs. While non-farm payrolls missed expectations on Friday, the lack of inflationary pressures buoyed traders and underpinned a bullish market.
On the currency desks, the euro edged back overnight from near three-year highs.
Meanwhile, signs of a commodity rally appear to be fading. Gold eased back from four-month highs on Thursday, while oil has fallen off an almost three-year peak posted last week.
Corporate news
- Ford has picked British factories to build new diesel engines
- Nvidia partners with Uber and Volkswagen in self-driving technology
- Celgene to buy Biomedicines for up to $7bn
Data
- 08:30 – UK Halifax house prices index (December)
- 09:30 – Eurozone investor, consumer and industrial confidence (December)
- 18:35 – Fed member Williams speech
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