London pre-open: Stocks to open higher on Eurozone comments

City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open up 48 points from yesterday's close of 5,612, following on from US markets which finished up last night, boosted by reassuring but largely familiar comments from the leaders of Germany and France about their plans to tackle the Eurozone crisis. Retailer Marks and Spencer saw group sales, excluding value added tax (VAT), rise 2.4% from a year earlier in the final 13 weeks of 2011. Total UK sales excluding VAT were up 1.8%, despite a 0.8% decline in General Merchandise sales; Food sales were up 4.5% year-on-year. As for the all-important like-for-like sales comparisons, overall, the UK stores were up 0.5%, with General Merchandise down 1.8% but Food up 3.0%. The New Year is already 10 days old so it is about time advertising giant WPP announced an acquisition, and it has duly obliged, with the purchase of a majority stake in Oasis Insights, an independent market research business in Japan.Cairn Energy has announced the details of its long-awaited return of around $3.5bn in cash to shareholders. The company plans to return 160p for each ordinary share held by way of a 'B' share scheme which will give UK tax-payers the chance to receive cash in the form of income or capital, or a blend of both.NR