(MENAFN- ProactiveInvestors - N.America)
The FTSE 100 stood at 6,280 at open this morning, up 9 points or aroung 0.15%. The "tepid" start expected by commentators.
The top winner this morning was DCC (LON:DCC) at 6,400p, up just over 2%, driven by a broker upgrade last week and energy sector acquisitions.
The biggest loser was Rexam (LON:REX) at 610.5p, down almost 3%. Norges Bank offloads its 2.25% stake in the company.
Preview at 6.57am
FTSE 100 set for a tepid start after Fed Yellen comments
The FTSE 100 is set for a slow start to the shortened trading week with the spread betting firms predicting the index of blue-chip shares will fall 16 points to 6,254.79 on opening.
Tuesday will be the first time the UK has been able to react to US Federal Reserve chairman Janet Yellen's comments on US interest rates.
'Fed officials have repeatedly claimed that a summer rate hike would be a reasonable assumption, a view that was supported as recently as Friday by chair Janet Yellen, although as always, the decision will be data dependent,' said Craig Erlam, analyst at OANDA.
The Americans will be eyeing the latest jobs figures due later this week to see whether they are supportive of the case for higher borrowing costs.
In Asia, the Shanghai Composite was up almost 3% after Goldman Sachs said there was a good chance China's leading shares would be included in the MSCI Indexes.
This would mean added to demand for the mainland stocks from intuitional investors, including tracker funds.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 was up 0.8% after better than expected industrial output figures.
Here in the UK it is expected to be a fairly quiet week for scheduled company news with building supplies giant Wolseley, car parts firm Halfords and metals specialist Johnson Matthey at the vanguard.
*Brent crude 2 cents lower at US$49.74 per barrel.
*Gold up US$2.10 an ounce at US$1,215.90.
Market Rumours
*Alliance Trust has confirmed that it has received an informal approach about a 5 billion merger with RIT Capital Partners, which is chaired by the British financier Jacob Rothschild Guardian.
*Telefonica is seeking to move on from the blocked merger of its UK business with CK Hutchison's Three as the Spanish telecoms company plots a future sale or flotation of O2 FT.
City Headlines
*HSBC's Stuart Gulliver is the European bank chief executive who investors would most like to be replaced, according to a recent poll of large shareholders FT.
*Annual profits at Jaguar Land Rover have fallen 40%, despite the carmaker reporting record sales and a 10% rise in revenues FT.
*A third of bosses at Britain's biggest public companies say they have spent up to 1mln preparing for the consequences of leaving the EU Times.
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