London pre-open: Stocks seen muted as investors mull jobs data
By Michele Maatouk
Date: Tuesday 18 Aug 2026
(Sharecast News) - London stocks were set for a muted open on Tuesday as investors mulled the latest UK jobs data and after the ceasefire between the US and Iran expired.
The FTSE 100 was called to open around two points lower.
The 60-day memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran expired on Monday, with both sides rejecting any potential extension. In addition, Trump told Fox News on Monday that the US would bomb Oman if it gets in the way of ending the war.
The US and Oman have been negotiating separately with Tehran to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz.
On home shores, figures from the Office of National Statistics showed the unemployment rate unexpectedly remained at 4.9% in the three months to June, versus expectations for a dip to 4.8%.
Meanwhile, vacancies fell by 6,000 to 707,000 - the lowest level since 2021.
Liz McKeown, director of economic statistics at the ONS, said: "Vacancies remain broadly flat, though a small fall in the latest period puts them at the lowest level in more than five years.
"The latest decrease was driven mainly by smaller businesses, which cite labour and operating costs as reasons for not hiring new staff or replacing leavers."
In corporate news, IT services provider Kainos said it had made a strong start to the new financial year and lifted guidance for FY27, with the board now expecting revenues and adjusted pre‑tax profit to come in comfortably ahead of current market forecasts.
Kainos' update comes after it delivered double‑digit revenue growth, a very strong sales performance and record backlog levels in the year ended 31 March, with management stating momentum had continued through the opening months of FY27.
Digital services remained a key driver, supported by several major contract wins in the second half of FY26 and further awards since the new year began. Both Workday Services and Workday Products also continued to trade well, with each posting double‑digit revenue growth compared to the same period last year.
Elsewhere, HgCapital Trust said it was investing around £20m in Nourish, a provider of software for the UK social and community care sector.
HgCapital said its investment will help Nourish continue investing in its product and developing new solutions "that improve the customer experience, make carers' lives easier, and keep human relationships at the heart of high-quality care".
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