London pre-open: FTSE to edge up as Middle East events remain in focus

(Sharecast News) - London stocks were set to edge up at the open on Friday as a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon got underway ahead of potential US-Iran peace talks at the weekend.

The FTSE 100 was called to open around 10 points higher.

Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Lebanon and Israel had agreed a ceasefire. In a post on Truth Social, the US president also said he will be inviting Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese president Joseph Aoun to the White House for "the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983, a very long time ago".

"Both sides want to see PEACE, and I believe that will happen, quickly!" he added.

News of the ceasefire was subsequently confirmed by Netanyahu. "We have the opportunity to make a historic deal with Lebanon," he said. However, Hezbollah - which was not part of the ceasefire discussions - said ​the presence of Israeli ‌troops in Lebanon would give the country ​and its people "the ​right to resist," and that any ceasefire must not allow Israel freedom ​of movement within ​Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Trump said at an event in Las Vegas that the war in Iran was "going along swimmingly" and "should be ending pretty soon".

Rabobank said: "Should the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire hold, we may see an extension of the current US-Iran ceasefire by an additional two weeks, as of next Tuesday.

"While many anxiously monitor the situation to see how long this 10-day ceasefire might last, EU and GCC officials have predicted that a deal between the US and Iran may take close to six months as counterparties argue back and forth on the subject of enriching uranium and developing nuclear capabilities."

Investors will also be mulling the latest quarterly results from US streaming giant Netflix, whose shares tumbled in after-hours trading on the back of disappointing revenue guidance and news that co-founder and chair Reed Hastings is stepping down.

In UK corporate news, office provider Workspace said it expected a "substantial step down" in annual trading profit due to a tough economic environment, including inflation, a lower rent roll and higher interest costs.

The company added that it would return its dividend payout policy to cover of 1.2x earnings from fiscal 2025/26 onwards.

Customised electronics manufacturer DiscoverIE said that trading had accelerated sharply in the fourth quarter, capping off a solid full‑year performance as all operating units saw a strong sequential pickup in demand across both orders and sales.

DiscoverIE said Q4 orders rose 16% at constant exchange rates and 15% organically, remaining ahead of sales for a third consecutive quarter as customers increased short‑term demand and extended order periods.

For the full year, group orders increased 9% at constant exchange rates and 5% organically, with DiscoverIE's order book up 6% on the first half.