London pre-open: Stocks to fall again as investors eye return of US data

(Sharecast News) - London stocks were set to fall again on Monday following heavy losses on Friday on the back of Budget jitters, concerns about an AI bubble and growing doubts about a US rate cut in December. The FTSE 100 was called to open around 10 points lower.

Danske Bank noted there are no exciting news releases scheduled for Monday, but said this marks the start of a week packed with significant macroeconomic events.

"Midweek brings key releases, including the UK October CPI and the FOMC minutes on Wednesday," it said.

"On Thursday, attention will shift to euro area November consumer confidence. To round off the week, Friday will deliver euro area and US November flash PMIs alongside the ECB's Q3 negotiated wages data.

"The focus this week will not least also turn to the delayed release of US data following the end to the US government shutdown last week. Also, central bank signals, growth indicators and on Wednesday the Nvidia earnings release will be important."

On home shores, investors will be mulling the latest data from Rightmove out earlier, which showed that house prices fell in November as the spike in supply and mounting uncertainty around the Budget weighed heavily.

Average new seller asking prices fell 1.8%, a larger-than-usual decline for the time of year. It also reversed October's 0.3% uptick.

Year-on-year, prices were 0.5% lower, leaving the national average asking price at £364,833.

Agreed sales in the year-to-date rose 4%.

The supply of houses coming to market - which had long lagged demand - has surged this year, giving buyers more power and depressing prices. However, the Budget was also proving a "distraction", Rightmove said.

It found sales agreed for homes priced at £2m and above had fallen sharply, down 13% year-on-year.

Speculation is rife that £2m-plus house sales could be subject to a new mansion tax, while other reports have mooted possible changes to stamp duty, which would affect homes sold for between £500,000 and £2m.

Rightmove's Collen Babcock said: "The Budget is a big distraction, and is later in the year than usual, with many would-be buyers waiting to see how their finances will be impacted.

"It appears the usual lull we'd see around Christmas time has arrived early this year, and sellers who are keen to move are having to work especially hard to entice buyers with competitive pricing."

In corporate news, HICL Infrastructure and The Renewables Infrastructure Group said they had agreed a merger to create the UK's largest listed infrastructure investment company with net assets in excess of £5.3bn.

The combination will see the reconstruction and voluntary winding up of TRIG, with TRIG's assets transferred to HICL in exchange for the issue of new HICL shares and cash.

DCC said it will return up to £600m to shareholders following the £1bn sale of its healthcare unit.

The former conglomerate is proposing a tender offer which will see it acquire up to 11.9m ordinary shares, representing 12.3% of the current issued share capital.

It is inviting investors to tender their stock for between £50.20 and £53.20 per share. DCC said the offer was "the most effective means of returning a significant amount of capital to shareholders in a short space of time".

Ecommerce group THG announced that its Myprotein brand has agreed a new partnership with American food giant Mars to collaborate on a new range of Snickers-flavoured protein powders.

This is the latest in a series of brand collabs for Myprotein, following deals with names like Müller, Iceland, Chupa Chups, Vimto and Jimmy's Coffee, which the company says have expanded its presence in offline retail and licensing.