London pre-open: FTSE to open high after data gives boost

City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open up 17 points from yesterday's close of 6,632, boosted by better-than-expected US retail sales and the first positive reading on the UK RICS house price balance since June three years ago. On today's agenda are the following: the German consumer price index, US import and export price indices, and EU industrial production. In UK company news, telecoms giant Vodafone has announced that it is to receive over two billion pounds from a dividend from its shares in its US wireless joint venture with Verizon. Verizon Wireless (VZW), which has been at the centre of takeover rumours by Verizon for months, is paying a total of $7.0bn (£4.6bn) to shareholders at the end of June.Betfair, the FTSE 250 online betting group, has received and rejected two revised proposals from CVC Capital Partners, Richard Koch, Antony Ball and partners valuing each Betfair share at 920p and 950p in cash respectively. Following further discussions, all talks have now been terminated. FTSE 100-listed natural gas producer BG Group intends to focus on the early stage origination discovery and development of upstream oil and gas as part of the company's next stage of growth, according to a strategy update issued by the company this morning.