FTSE 100 preview: Miners down; CPI due

By REUTERS
Updated: 02:50 EDT, 17 May 2011

The FTSE 100 is seen falling on Tuesday, tracking declines overnight on Wall Street, with weakness in metals prices likely to impact mining stocks as investors wait for full-year results from index heavyweight Vodafone.

Market watcher: Inflation data and Vodafone results will set the agenda today.

The UK blue chip index looks set to shed 35 to 46 points, or as much as 0.8%, according to financial bookmakers, after it ended down 2.18 points at 5,923.69 on Monday, well off the session low of 5,862.16.

On the domestic macroeconomic front, UK April CPI data is due, and is forecast to climb to 4.2% after March's surprise drop to 4.0%, highlighting the task facing the Bank of England as it endeavours to balance rising prices with the threat of further economic stagnation.

Across the Atlantic, US April housing starts data is scheduled for release, with US April industrial output figures due.

London copper fell on Tuesday on the back of a firmer dollar, and with investor risk appetite tempered by concerns over the euro zone debt situation.

Euro zone finance ministers approved a €78bn rescue package for Portugal, and said they would consider asking Greece's private creditors to extend the maturities on their bonds, giving Athens extra time to pay down its debt.

Russian state-controlled oil company Rosneft was unwilling to extend a deadline to complete a $16bn share swap with BP, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing a source close to Rosneft.

The actions of HBOS at the height of the financial crisis are understood to be at the centre of Lloyds Banking Group's admission in a US regulatory filing that it is one of a group of banks being investigated over alleged manipulation of the Libor borrowing rates, the Daily Telegraph said.

There will be results today from Vodafone, with updates also coming from Aviva, Capital Shopping Centre, Essar Energy, Avis Europe, Babcock International, Derwent London, Enterprise Inns, and Renishaw.