London pre-open: Stocks to edge lower in early trade

City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open down four points from Friday's close of 6,625, following the weekend's meeting of the G7 in the UK.In all it appears the leaders from the seven countries agreed it was wise to allow the Japanese yen continue on its path lower. On today's agenda, economic announcements are set to include US business inventories, manufacturing inventories, retail sales and retail sale inventories. In UK company news, part-nationalised lender Lloyds has revealed that Chairman Sir Winfried Bischoff will retire within a year's time, a move thought to be in anticipation of the bank's potential privatisation. Bischoff, who has been Chairman since September 2009 and instrumental in the company's radical restructuring and return to profitability, is to step down from the board "no later than the shareholders meeting in May 2014", the company said.Ashtead Group has acquired Accession, a UK specialist rental provider of temporary access solutions and traffic management to the events and industrial sectors. The business was bought for £28m in cash, with a further £7.0m to be paid if Accesion's profits hit a certain target in the year to March 28th 2014. Energy giant Centrica said it has performed well to date and expects full year earnings growth to be in line with market expectations as it starts its £500m share repurchase programme. FTSE 100-listed Centrica said trading has been buoyed by sustained cold weather and periods of higher commodity prices.