FTSE 100 set for cautious open ahead of US jobs report
The FTSE 100 is expected to open modestly lower on Friday following Thursday’s strong session, as investors turn their attention to the latest US employment figures and their implications for Federal Reserve interest rates.
IG’s out-of-hours market indicated the FTSE 100 around 10.5 points lower shortly before 7 am, following Thursday’s 0.7% advance to 10,831.52.
The cautious start comes despite a strong overnight backdrop from Wall Street and gains across most major Asian markets, supported by easing concerns over an imminent US interest-rate increase.
Wall Street rallied on Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 624 points, or 1.18%, to 53,686.11. The S&P 500 climbed 1.06% to 7,747.71, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.4% to 26,584.06.
Sentiment improved after Federal Reserve Governor Chris Waller indicated his decision at this month’s policy meeting would depend heavily on upcoming inflation data.
Waller said he would be prepared not to support an increase if inflation continued moving towards the Fed’s 2% target, helping ease some of the...






