LONDON (ShareCast) - City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open around 23 points lower than Friday's close of 6,453.88, as Congressional leaders on Capitol Hill failed to come to a resolution over the budget crisis during the weekend. In remarks made behind closed dooors the speaker of The United States House of Representatives, John Boehner, has reportedly said that he will not a debt default to occur. However, he has also gone on the record as being unwilling to support a "clean" [without additional provisions] increase in the federal government´s debt ceiling.

US stocks finished with decent gains on Friday, despite the ongoing government shutdown, as bargain hunters stepped in following a choppy few days for global financial markets.

Nevertheless, the Dow and S&P 500 indices still ended lower for the week as politicians wrangled over the budget and the crucial debt ceiling. However, the tech-heavy Nasdaq posted its fifth straight week of gains.

"Our best guess is that a comprehensive agreement will be reached sometime close to the 17th October debt-ceiling deadline," said Analyst Jessica Hinds from Capital Economics.

Declines were seen in Asia overnight, as attitudes around the globe remained cautious.

In the UK, Gooch & Housego, a specialist manufacturer of optical components & systems, said it has traded in line with expectations as it weathers mixed market conditions. "Trading conditions during the year were broadly positive, albeit set against a background of some hesitancy and uncertainty affecting most of the sectors in which G&H operates," the group said in a company statement.

Intu Properties, the FTSE 250 retail real estate firm formerly known as Capital Shopping Centres, has acquired the Pargue Principade Shopping Centre in Spain as it hopes to take advantage of improving economic conditions in the struggling Eurozone nation. In a joint partnership with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Intu has agreed to buy the 75,000-metre-squared regional shopping centre in Oveido, Asturias - "a top-10 centre in Spain" according to the firm - for €162m. They will each own a 50% stake.

British food producer Cranswick brought home the bacon in the last half as total sales rose 15%, driven by demand for pork. In a trading update for the six months to the end of September, the company said sales growth was supported by the “attractiveness, versatility and low relative price” of British pig meat.

UK economic data readings are set to be relatively light this week, while elsewhere investors can today expect US consumer credit data, as well as the second release of EU GDP and the EU Harmonised Competitiveness Indicators.

NR