My neighbour has started keeping bees. Is there anything I can do to stop him? Consumer lawyer DEAN DUNHAM answers your questions
The popular new 5.05% limited access account that savers are rushing to open - so what are the downsides? SYLVIA MORRIS explains
Revealed: The salary you need to make being a working parent profitable. How soaring childcare fees mean thousands are struggling to earn more than they pay for nursery
I'm 77, still work and worth £2.6m - how much inheritance tax will my family face and how can I cut the bill?
AJ Bell launches 'ready-made pension' to help savers find and merge old pots: Should you roll up retirement savings?
Why I believe pre-nups are so vital that EVERY couple should be forced to sign one - By 'Mr Loophole' NICK FREEMAN (the lawyer who gets celebrities out of tight spots)
Scottish Widows gave my ex-wife £8,000 from my pension - 14 years after we divorced!
Why 16 to 24-year-olds are the savviest savers - and how they're putting their parents to shame
MARKET REPORT: Vodafone shares rally as it pushes ahead with cost-cutting drive and plans to merge with Three UK
De Beers eyeing £4bn blockbuster London float as owner Anglo American plans break up in bid to fend off £34bn takeover
Fertiliser fiasco: Hundreds of jobs at risk as Anglo American slashes funding for Woodsmith potash mine
Royal Mail's future hanging in the balance as bid deadline closes in for Czech tycoon
How refreshing that Anglo has chosen to raise the stakes rather than grab the money and run, says ALEX BRUMMER
Tesco boss Ken Murphy pockets £10m in biggest ever pay deal at a British supermarket
My top tips to avoid getting stung in a divorce: Why you should never feel guilty about nabbing your share of his pension, and the right way to say 'sorry', by VICKY REYNAL
I don't want smart meters, so Eon is charging me £316 to replace my old broken ones: SALLY SORTS IT
Will Nationwide pay out a £100 loyalty bonus again this year? Millions got one last June - and the building society has not ruled out another...
This rising Asian star is primed for growth
Nectar customers are still losing thousands of points to scammers - why hasn't the problem been fixed? asks ANGHARAD CARRICK
Cheaper energy deals could be back by winter: Ofgem plans to bring back competitive fixed-rate tariffs for switchers
Are switching bonuses back? Santander offers £175 to open a current account - but don't be caught out by the monthly fees
My neighbour's over-the-top garden lights keep me awake - can I complain to the council and what are my rights?
Sainsbury's now tells customers to go to the POLICE to investigate stolen Nectar points...
Get 5.78% interest with this quirky 365-day notice savings account that beats the top one-year fixed rates

FTSE 100 preview: Shares rise on US data

By Reuters
Updated: 03:18 EDT, 25 November 2010

View
comments

The FTSE 100 is expected to rise, adding slightly to strong gains in the previous session, but with investors still cautious over the euro zone debt situation.

Dealers monitor their screens on the trading floor of IG Index in London

Watching brief: Better news from the US will help UK shares.

Data showing stronger consumer demand and lower than expected unemployment in the United States added to firm UK GDP data to push Britain's top share index 1.4% higher on Wednesday to close at 5,657.10.

But the FTSE 100 is only expected to gain as much as 0.1% early on Thursday as Asian stocks failed to get much support from the US data as uncertainty on the outlook for the euro zone following massive financial support for Ireland lingered.

Investors will watch UK November distributive trades data for more clues on the state of UK consumer spending. The sales balance is forecast at 33, down from 36 the previous month.

US stocks rose on Wednesday as US stock investors put aside worries about swirling global problems, turning to improvement in the labour market and signs consumers are ready to open their wallets ahead of the biggest shopping day of the year.

Trading is set to be subdued on Thursday, with Wall Street staying closed for the Thanksgiving Day holiday.

Japan's Nikkei average rose 0.5% on Thursday and edged back toward a five-month high hit earlier this week, supported by demand from overseas investors and the yen's recent dip against the dollar. However gains from other Asian equities were muted.

The administrator of BP's $20bn fund for victims of the worst US offshore oil spill on Wednesday encouraged claimants to file early for final settlements to get the most generous terms.

The chief executive Lloyds Banking Group has called on the coalition government to honour what he described as a pledge by its predecessor not to unwind the bank's controversial takeover of broken rival HBOS, the Financial Times said.

Indian and foreign phone companies, including Vodafone could be forced to pay more than $1bn each to the Indian government after a critical audit of a controversial allocation of mobile licences, the Financial Times cited two senior government officials as saying.

Thomas Cook will announce a deal on Thursday to acquire a stake in Russian travel agency Intourist in order to enter the fast-growing Russian travel market, Vedomosti daily reported.

Britain's main banks are working on a joint plan to cut bonus payouts this year and boost lending to small businesses in 2011, The Times newspaper said in its Thursday edition.

There will be results today from Antofagasta, WS Atkins, Daily Mail & General Trust, Dixons Retail, Grainger, Helical Bar, Pennon and Young & Co Brewery.

Reader service: Free brochure guides

Completely free insider guides on the latest investing trends...

Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.