Stocks in London are set to open slightly higher on Friday as investors weigh geopolitical risks, a busy economic calendar and an imminent announcement from US President Donald Trump on the next chair of the Federal Reserve.
Futures point to the FTSE 100 opening 8.2 points higher, or 0.1%, at 10,179.96. The FTSE 100 ended Thursday up 17 points at 10,171.76 after touching an intraday high of 10,277.72 earlier in the afternoon.
Wall Street offered little clear direction overnight. Investors sold into Microsoft following its earnings update, dragging the Nasdaq Composite 0.7% lower. The S&P 500 slipped 0.1%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.1% higher.
In corporate news, Apple shares rose 0.5% after hours after the company reported record fourth-quarter iPhone sales. Revenue climbed 16% year-on-year to USD143.8 billion, while chief executive Tim Cook said demand was “unprecedented” across all regions.
Precious metals have pulled back sharply from recent highs. Gold is trading around 4% lower at $5,247.51 an ounce this morning, while silver is nearly 6% weaker at $109.52, underlining continued volatility across commodity markets.
Asian markets were mostly lower. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was marginally softer, China’s Shanghai Composite fell 0.8%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was close to 2% lower. South Korea’s Kospi bucked the trend with a 0.6% gain, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 closed down 0.7%.
