FTSE 100 preview: Shares to end the week higher
The FTSE 100 is seen opening as much as 1.2% higher on Thursday, tracking gains in the US and Asian markets.
Friday feeling: Shares are expected to follow gloabl markets higher.
'The European markets ended up pretty flat yesterday. But on the back of strong finish on Wall Street and on the strong showing in Asia, we are calling them up," said Matthew Buckland, a dealer at CMC Markets.
Financial spreadbetters expected the UK benchmark to open up 35 to 57 points, after closing up 3.89 points, or 0.1% at 4,689.67 on Wednesday.
US stocks rose on Wednesday, shaking off a slide in China's equity market, as investors responded favourably to a surprising drop in crude oil stockpiles that might suggest an improving demand outlook. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei average gained 1.6% and Chinese stocks rose 2.7%.
Heavyweight energy stocks would get a lift from firmer crude prices which traded above $72 a barrel.
UK retail sales will provide a gauge of the state of the British economy. Investors will shift their focus on US weekly jobless claims later in the day.
Rio Tinto is due to release first-half results.
Sterlite Industries, a unit of Vedanta Resources, has raised its offer for bankrupt US copper miner Asarco LLC, making a bid that could pay unsecured creditors in full and compete with the latest offer from Mexican miner Grupo Mexico SAB de CV, according to an Asarco lawyer.
The US Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday it has approved GlaxoSmithKline's Hiberix Hib vaccines as a booster dose for children ages 15 months to four years.
One of the City's leading institutional investors has queried the appointment of Richard Burrows, the former Bank of Ireland governor, as the next chairman of British American Tobacco, the Financial Times said.
SIG will release first-half results.
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