FTSE 100 Tipped to Fall After Downbeat Asia Trading

The FTSE 100 is expected to open four points lower at 7547, according to CMC Markets, after downbeat trading in Asia. Markets in mainland China, Hong Kong and Japan are all in negative territory, though the Dow closed 0.1% higher Wednesday. Brent crude is down 0.5% at $84.25 a barrel. "U.S. markets underwent a more subdued session, finishing the day higher, although off their intraday highs after the latest U.S. CPI report for December came in at its highest level in almost 40 years at 7%," CMC analyst Michael Hewson says. 


 
Companies News:

Aviva CFO Jason Windsor Resigns to Join Persimmon

Aviva PLC said Thursday that Chief Financial Officer Jason Windsor has resigned with effect from July to take up the role at Persimmon PLC.

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Persimmon PLC 2021 Revenue Rose, Forward Sales Slip Slightly

Persimmon PLC said Thursday that revenue rose 8.4% in 2021, though its current forward-sales position for the year fell slightly on-year.

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Tesco 3Q Sales Rose, Boosted by Strong Christmas Demand

Tesco PLC said Thursday that it has had stronger-than-expected sales to date following a strong third quarter of fiscal 2022 and robust during Christmas, and that it now expects to post a retail operating profit for the full fiscal year slightly above its previous top-end guidance.

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Marks & Spencer Reports Strong Performance Over Christmas; Backs FY 2022 Guidance

Marks & Spencer Group PLC said Thursday that its performance over the Christmas period was strong, and backed its guidance for the year.

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ASOS Backs FY 2022 Guidance; To Move to LSE Main Market

ASOS PLC said Thursday that its guidance for the year remains unchanged despite uncertainty related to the Omicron coronavirus variant, and that it intends to move to London Stock Exchange's main market.

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Countryside Properties 1Q Revenue, Profit Fell; CEO Steps Down

Countryside Properties PLC said Thursday that its first quarter adjusted revenue and adjusted operating profit fell, and Chief Executive Officer Iain McPherson will step down immediately.

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Hays 2Q Net Fees Rose; FY 2022 Operating Profit Seen Ahead of Market Expectations

Hays PLC said Thursday that net fees increased on a like-for-like basis in the second quarter and that it expects fiscal 2022 operating profit to be ahead of consensus market expectations.

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Premier Miton No Longer Plans to Make Offer for River & Mercantile

Premier Miton Group PLC said Thursday that it won't be making an offer for River & Mercantile Group PLC and has withdrawn from talks.

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Finsbury Food 1H Sales Rose Despite Pressures

Finsbury Food Group PLC said Thursday that sales for the first half of fiscal 2022 rose 8.9% on-year despite inflationary and supply-chain pressure. 


 
Market Talk:

CE Raises Forecasts for Global Government Bond Yields

0732 GMT - Capital Economics raises its previous forecasts for global government bond yields as it continues to expect central banks' tighter monetary policy to drive them further upward, markets economist Franziska Palmas says. "We continue to expect monetary tightening to push up 10-year government bond yields across developed markets but we now forecast them to reach a higher level than we had previously anticipated, especially in the U.S., Germany and the U.K.," she says. CE now forecasts the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield to reach 2.25% by end-2022 and 2.75% by end-2023, up from its previous forecasts of 2.00% and 2.25%, respectively. It expects the 10-year Bund yield to rise to 0.50% by the end of 2023 versus 0.25% anticipated previously.

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Rio Tinto Might Keep New Zealand Smelter Operating Beyond 2024

0244 GMT - Rio Tinto's New Zealand aluminum smelter, which uses about 12% of the country's electricity, is likely to again loom large, says Forsyth Barr, predicting Rio will negotiate to keep it operating beyond its planned end-2024 closure. Aluminum prices have rocketed while key ingredient alumina has eased in price, making the smelter more profitable. Also, some European smelters have curtailed production and China could slow its production, the broker says. It makes sense for Rio to start talks with its electricity suppliers Meridian and Contact sooner than later, Forsyth Barr reckons. Otherwise it risks them finding sufficient alternative demand, which would mean the smelter closure is no longer a big deal for them.

Contact: London NewsPlus, Dow Jones Newswires; Write to Sarka Halas at sarka.halas@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

01-13-22 0306ET