The FTSE 100 is expected to open around 40 points lower on Thursday, according to spread betting firms, extending its pullback from Tuesday’s record high while remaining above the 10,000 level.
After a strong start to the year, early momentum has begun to ease as investors pause ahead of a heavy slate of US economic data.
Asian markets were mixed overnight, reflecting a broader loss of urgency after Wall Street retreated from recent peaks. Both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 finished lower, offering little direction as traders looked ahead to US job openings and unemployment claims later in the day, followed by Friday’s closely watched non-farm payrolls report.
Geopolitics also remained in focus. Investors continued to assess developments in Venezuela alongside rising tensions in Asia, particularly between China and Japan, which weighed on sentiment in Tokyo.
South Korean equities bucked the regional trend, although Samsung Electronics edged lower despite forecasting record quarterly profits.
Oil prices steadied after recent sharp declines, while markets are also bracing for a ruling by the US Supreme Court on Donald Trump’s tariff powers — a decision that could carry significant implications for global trade and risk appetite.
