Overview: the FTSE 100 is set to open slightly higher today after a positive session on Wall Street, where investors were digesting mixed economic data. The Labor Department showed a higher than expected rise in jobless claims of 17,000 to 474,000 last week, while the Commerce Department reported an unexpected 7.6% reduction of trade deficit in October to prop up the market. In the UK, the Bank of England decided to leave its interest rates unchanged at the current historic lows of 0.5%. Asian markets were bullish as Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.7%, while Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 climbed 2.5%. However, China’s Shanghai composite index declined marginally as property stocks slid. Commodities Oil prices declined further with January Brent Crude sliding to US$72.16/barrel, while US benchmark crude slipped below US$71/barrel. Precious metals were on the rise as gold, silver and platinum rose to US$1,135/oz, US$17.38/oz and US$1,426/oz respectively. Base metals retreated as copper slid to US$3.05/lb, nickel was down to US$7.29/lb and zinc dropped to US$1.03/lb. The UK blue chip index tacked on 0.8% yesterday as financial stocks performed strongly. Banks Lloyds (LSE: LLOY) and Barclays (LSE: BARC) emerged atop the leaderboard with gains of 6.5% and 4.5%, while life insurer Standard Life (LSE: SL) and hedge fund manager Man Group (LSE: EMG) followed, adding about 4%. Other notable risers included broadcaster BSkyB (LSE: BSY), which climbed 3.8%, asset management firm Schroders (LSE: SDR) with a 3% gain and car insurer Admiral Group (LSE: ADM) with a gain of 2.8%. Just four FTSE 100 constituents shed more than 1% yesterday. Base metal focused miner Xstrata (LSE: XTA) was at the bottom of the pile with a loss of more than 2%, while commercial property company Land Securities (LSE: LAND) shed nearly 2%. Oil and gas company Tullow Oil (LSE: TLW) and Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) slid 1.5%. Engineering firm Invensys (LSE: ISYS) lost almost 1%, as did another property stock Segro (LSE: SGRO).

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