LONDON (Alliance News) - UK stocks are pointed to a higher open Friday, ahead of UK unemployment data and inflation numbers from the eurozone and the US.
IG says futures indicate the FTSE 100 to open 10 points higher at 7,070.0. The index closed down 0.5% at 7,060.45 on Thursday after hitting a new intraday record high of 7,119.35 in the first minute of trade.
On Wall Street Thursday, the DJIA ended slightly lower, the S&P 500 closed down 0.1%, and the Nasdaq Composite also ended down 0.1%.
In Asia Friday, the Japanese Nikkei is trading down 1.1%, while the Hang Seng is up 0.3% and the Shanghai Composite is up 2.1%.
Japan's consumer confidence improved for the fourth straight month in March, surpassing expectations, survey data from the Cabinet Office showed. The consumer confidence index rose to 41.7 in March from 40.9 in the previous month. Economists had expected the index to increase to 41.3. The latest reading was the highest since December 2013, when it marked the same 41.7.
In a very light UK corporate calendar, there are full-year results from Tex Holdings and Inspired Capital, and a trading statement from Acal.
In the economic calendar, UK unemployment and wage data is at 0930 BST before eurozone consumer prices at 1000 BST and US CPI at 1330 BST. After the close of London stock markets, there is the US Reuters/Michigan consumer sentiment index at 1900 BST.
By Neil Thakrar; neilthakrar@alliancenews.com; @NeilThakrar1
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