London pre-open: Stocks set for quiet Friday after two-day Christmas hiatus
London stocks were set for a quiet return from the Christmas break on Friday, amid a trickle of corporate news and after a solid Boxing Day session on Wall Street.
The FTSE 100 was expected to open one point higher on Friday, having closed up 0.11% at 7,632.24 on its last trading day - Christmas Eve on Tuesday.
US-China trade relations remained at the fore, after Chinese Commerce Ministry said Beijing was in contact with the US regarding the signing of their initial trade deal overnight.
Earlier in the week, Donald Trump said the deal was "getting done", adding that there would be a signing ceremony with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
All three major indices in the US were in the green on Boxing Day, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.37% at 28,621.39, the S&P 500 0.51% firmer at 3,239.91, and the Nasdaq Composite seeing out the session 0.78% higher at 9,022.39.
Markets across Europe, Australia and Hong Kong remained closed on the day after Christmas Day.
No major data releases were scheduled on either side of the Atlantic on Friday, although some corporate news began to trickle in ahead of the open in London.
NMC Health announced some initial findings of its review following the “attack” from short seller Muddy Waters on Friday, reporting that it has obtained a letter from STH Consultant - the engineering consultant retained for the NMC Royal Women's Hospital development project - confirming the total built-up floor area of the hospital at 18,595 square metres.
The FTSE 100 firm said it had also made available Health Authority of Abu Dhabi approved floor plans of the hospital.
US Solar Fund announced its third acquisition on Friday, confirming that it had executed binding agreements to acquire 100% of the cash equity interests in an approximately 39MW DC portfolio of eight operating utility-scale solar power projects located in North Carolina.
The London-listed company said it would acquire the portfolio from Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company, and fund the acquisition with cash of around $36m, adding it did not anticipate using debt at this time.
Anglo African Oil & Gas has entered into a conditional sale and purchase agreement with Zenith Energy for the sale of an 80% interest in its wholly-owned subsidiary, Anglo African Oil & Gas Congo, which holds a 56% interest in Tilapia in the Republic of the Congo.
The AIM-traded firm said the consideration for the disposal would be the payment by Zenith of £1m, of which £0.5m in cash would payable in six equal monthly instalments from the date of completion, and £0.5m worth of Zenith ordinary shares would be issued at the volume-weighted average price of a Zenith share for a period of 14 trading days prior to completion of the disposal.