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LONDON (Alliance News) - UK stocks are set to open slightly lower Friday, ahead of another busy day in the UK corporate calendar, with British Airways-owner IAG and Lloyds Banking Group releasing full-year results, after the FTSE 100 ended just below record highs and the FTSE 250 managed to climb to a new closing high on Thursday.
IG futures indicate the FTSE 100 to open 8 points lower at 6,941.3. The index closed up 0.2% at 6,949.73 on Thursday, with the focus on full-year results from companies including Royal Bank of Scotland Group, RSA Insurance Group and publisher Reed Elsevier.
Wall Street ended mixed Thursday. The DJIA closed down 0.1%, the S&P 500 ended down 0.2% and the Nasdaq Composite outperformed, up 0.4%.
In Asia on Friday, the Japanese Nikkei 225 closed up 0.1%, and the Hang Seng trades up 0.3%. The Shanghai Composite is trading up 0.4%.
Brent crude is quoted at around USD60.81 a barrel early Friday, and US benchmark West Texas Intermediate is quoted at USD48.91 a barrel. Gold is quoted early Friday at USD1,211.41 an ounce.
Also in the corporate calendar Friday, Old Mutual, UBM, Berendsen, IMI, William Hill, Intu Properties, Rightmove, Restaurant Group and Rentokil Initial will report full year results. Pearson and Waterman Group will issue half-year results, while Harvey Nash Group will release a trading update.
In the economic calendar Friday, the German Import Prices Index is due at 0700 GMT and German Consumer Price Index is at 1300 GMT, while French Consumer spending and Produces Prices are at 0745 GMT. In the US, fourth quarter GDP price index flash reading is at 1330 GMT, Chicago Purchasing Managers' Index is at 1445 GMT, and Pending homes sales is at 1500 GMT.
By Daniel Ruiz; danielruiz@alliancenews.com
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