LONDON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 11-13 points,
or as much as 0.3 percent, lower on Monday, according to financial bookmakers, tracking
weakness overnight in Asia and pre-weekend on Wall Street.
The British blue-chip index closed 41.49 points, or 0.9 percent, lower on Friday at
4,713.97 dented by data which showed a weakening in U.S. consumer sentiment, fuelling concerns
about the strength of an economic recovery.
U.S. stocks fell broadly on Friday, with the major indexes snapping a four-week streak of
gains after the data from the Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers showed
consumer confidence fell more than expected in early August, dropping to its lowest level
since March. [ID:nN14304812]
Japan's Nikkei average fell 2.2 percent on Monday, retreating from 10-month highs, with
exporters hit as the yen rose against the dollar on concerns about how quickly the U.S.
economy will recover.
Japan's economy grew 0.9 percent in April-June from the previous quarter, marking the
first expansion in five quarters and in line with a median market forecast for 1.0 percent
growth, data showed before the start of trade. [ID:nT212505] [ID:nT230506]
Asking prices for homes in England and Wales are an average 3.1 percent lower this month
than a year ago, property web site Rightmove said on Monday.
That matched July's annual fall, but a monthly decline of 2.2 percent this month more than
reversed July's 0.6 percent rise from June, leaving the average price of a home at 222,762
pounds. [ID:nLE591829]
Britain's economy should return to growth in the second half of 2009, although the speed
of recovery will depend on the effect of bank lending constraints and the state of the global
economy, Bank of England policymaker Andrew Sentance said in an article for the Sunday Times
newspaper. [nLG224287]
No other British economic data was due for release on Monday so investors will look ahead
to the afternoon release of the U.S. Empire State index for August, which is expected to rise
to 1.00, up from -0.55 in July, and the U.S. NAHB index for August, which is seen rising to a
reading of 18, up from 17 in July.
