Proactive Investors - FTSE 100 expected to edge higher while S&P 500 closes in on landmark.
The FTSE 100 is expected to open slightly higher on Thursday after US markets hit new record highs driven by gains in tech stocks.
Spread betting companies are calling London's lead index up by around 4 points after closing down 52.26 points at 7,628.75 on Wednesday.
On Wall Street, the S&P 500 hit a new intra-day high, rising 0.8%, taking it within a whisker of the 5,000 landmark - gains in technology stocks such as Nvidia, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Meta Platforms supported the latest rise.
In Asia, Chinese consumer prices fell in January at their quickest rate in more than 14 years, data showed Thursday, as the country's leaders struggle to revive buying sentiment in the world's second-biggest economy.
The figures will add to calls for a stimulus to revive the economy.
"In plain English, it means that the Chinese efforts to boost growth and bring inflation back are not working according to the plan," said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote Bank.
Back in London, and results from a number of FTSE 100 companies will provide the early focus - Compass, BAT (LON:BATS), AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN), Unilever (LON:ULVR), SSE (LON:SSE) and Anglo American (JO:AGLJ) will report updates.