LONDON (ShareCast) - Little change is expected on the FTSE 100 at Monday's opening bell, following weakness in Asia overnight.
City sources predict the top tier index will open just two points higher than Friday's close of 6,742.84.

"Disappointing data from China and Japan is weighing on European futures ahead of the open on Monday, as concerns about the state of two of the largest Asian economies overshadows Friday's hugely impressive jobs report from the US," Alpari market analyst Craig Erlam said.

"Further evidence emerged overnight of the divergence being seen in some of the largest global economies, as Chinese trade balance figures and Japanese revised gross domestic product (GDP) data highlighted the increasingly worrying state of affairs in these two countries."

In China, the trade balance data revealed a surprise 6.7% drop in imports and a slowdown in exports, according to the General Administration of Customs. This left the world's second largest economy with a trade surplus of $54.5bn.

Meanwhile, Japanese GDP contracted by 1.9% on an annualised basis, falling from -1.6% previously.

In European news, German industrial output edged higher by 0.2% month-on-month in October, slightly less than the 0.3% gain which analysts had forecast.

Back in the UK and on the company front, global hotels operator Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) has accepted a €330m (£261m) offer for its Le Grand building in Paris. "IHG's acceptance of the offer follows the conclusion of the information and consultation period with the relevant hotel employees' representatives, and the execution of definitive legal documentation," the company said.‏

Real estate investment trust Segro has sold seven regional German industrial estates and has agreed to dispose of a further three to Hansteen Holdings, for a total of €45.8m (£36.1m). The firm added the disposal of the three remaining assets, which are worth £3.9m, should be completed within the first three months of 2015.

Carillion has signed a contract with Liverpool Football Club to deliver the expansion of its main stand to add around 8,500 seats and increase the overall capacity of Anfield Stadium to some 54,000.

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