Markets are expected to open slightly higher on Tuesday morning, building on gains made yesterday when the FTSE 100 hit a fresh eight-month high.It was a rather lacklustre session for financial markets across Europe on Monday given that Wall Street was closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Today, however, is likely to see a return to normal trading volumes with US markets due to open as usual later this afternoon. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open up 20 points from yesterday's close of 6,836.7.If index holds on to these gains, it is likely to surpass last year's closing high of 6,840.27 reached in May 2013, coming within touching distance of its all-time high of 6,930 hit in December 1999.Sentiment has been lifted by a positive finish for Asian markets overnight on the back of an easing of credit conditions in China.China's central bank reportedly inject fresh liquidity into the country's large banks to meet demand for cash ahead of Chinese New Year later this month. Stocks to watchConsumer goods giant Unilever reported a 3% fall in annual turnover to €49.8bn as growth continued to slow in emerging markets. The company said emerging markets, including Brazil, India, Russia and Indonesia, were impinged by economic uncertainty and currency depreciation on consumer demand.Shareholders at engineering and fluid control firm IMI are in for a collective windfall of £620m, as the company returns cash following the disposal of its Beverage Dispense and Merchandising divisions. IMI said on Tuesday morning that it intends to return 200p a share to shareholders on register by February 14th, amounting to £620m in aggregate.Wood Group's PSN business has won two significant contract extension in Africa, worth a collective $250m. The largest, which is worth more than $140m, is a five-year extension on a 2006 contract to provide operations, maintenance and construction management services for asset facilities in central Africa. The second, worth over $110m, extends an agreement for the provision of operations and maintenance services in Equatorial Guinea by another three years. Brewer and pub group Marston's said it was encouraged by its performance in the financial year-to-date with good trading over the important Christmas and New Year period. It added that its first quarter performance has also been solid with growth in each of its key trading divisions.BC