London pre-open: Positive start expected to shortened Christmas week

UK stocks are set to jump strongly when markets open on Monday morning, extending their recent winning streak into a fifth straight day ahead of a shortened trading week.

City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open 50 points higher than Friday’s close of 6,545.27.

The index surged 4% over the past week, rising nearly 6% over the past four sessions alone. This was the Footsie’s best weekly performance since December 2011 after the Federal Reserve promised to be “patient” about the first rate rise and markets rebounded strongly after a recent sell-off.

“This ‘patient’ approach to policy normalisation as well as a belated realisation that lower oil prices aren’t necessarily such a bad thing, particularly in terms of their potential impact on global [growth] and consumer sentiment, has seen a significant rebound in the last four days,” said analyst Michael Hewson from CMC Markets UK.

“As we head towards the Christmas break and a short week, the main focus going forward is likely to remain on the recent volatility in the oil price,” he said.

UK markets are open as normal until Wednesday when they close half a day early for Christmas Eve. They will not open again until Monday 29th December.

While trading volumes are expected to be low over the next few days, with many traders already on their festive holidays, there’s still some economic data due out for those remaining investors to take in.

Final readings on third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) in the UK and US are both due, as well as a raft of US data including durable goods orders, consumer confidence, new homes sales and personal incomes.

Stocks to watch

Home improvement retailer Kingfisher has agreed to sell a controlling 70% stake in its B&Q China business to Wumei Holdings for £140m. The transaction, which is still subject to approval from Chinese Ministry of Commerce, should be finalised in the first six months of 2015, the group said.

A joint venture between Kier Group and Clancy Docwra has been named as the preferred bidder for a £1bn Thames Water infrastructure project. The contract has an estimated value to the KCD joint venture of £500m over the next five years. The work will start in April 2015 and run for up to 15 years.

Infrastructure investment firm John Laing Infrastructure Fund has completed the acquisition of two assets from John Laing for a combined value of £21.6m. The fund has taken receipt of an 80% stake in the Kirklees Social Housing project and a 50% stake in the Surrey Street Lighting project, bringing the total number of assets under its control to 56.