FTSE to open lower on Wall St. weakness

 

The FTSE 100 index is seen opening 10-12 points, or as much as 0.2 percent, lower on Friday, according to financial bookmakers, following overnight weakness on Wall Street and in Asia.

The blue chip index closed up 9.75 points, or 0.2 percent, at 5,276.50 on Thursday, it's highest close since October 19, as British Airways soared with investors cheered as a merger with Iberia looked imminent, while gains were also powered by strength in banks.

No domestic data is due for release on Friday, so investors' attention will be drawn across the Atlantic.

September U.S. international trade figures are due at 1:30 a.m., as are import/export prices for October. These will be followed by November's University of Michigan consumer sentiment data.