8th Dec 2025 07:51
(Alliance News) - Stocks were called to open higher on Monday, ahead of US consumer inflation expectations in the afternoon.
Here is what you need to know before the London market open:
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MARKETS
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FTSE 100: called down 0.1% at 9,661.21
GBP: higher at USD1.3330 (USD1.3326 at previous London equities close)
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ECONOMICS
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1430 GMT UK Bank of England MPC member Alan Taylor speaks
1830 GMT UK Bank of England Deputy Governor Clare Lombardelli speaks
1600 GMT US consumer inflation expectations
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David Lammy is set to lay out the government's plans to tackle Britain's GBP100 billion money laundering problem on Monday. Announcing a new anti-corruption strategy in London, the deputy prime minister will make more than 100 commitments to make the UK a harder target for corrupt practices. The strategy is expected to include stronger law enforcement action to tackle bribery and corruption in the public sector and financial services, as well as tougher sanctions on corrupt lawyers and bankers who enable the flow of dirty money. It will also feature a GBP3 million investment by the Foreign Office to support investigative journalists working to expose corruption. The money will help to fund the work of Transparency International, the Organised Crime & Corruption Reporting Project and the Anti-Corruption Data Collective. Other measures set to be announced on Monday include GBP15 million for the City of London police's anti-corruption unit, greater transparency in political donations and a review of stolen assets in the UK to be led by anti-corruption champion Baroness Margaret Hodge, according to a report in The Guardian.
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BROKER RATINGS
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Barclays raises Vodafone to 'overweight' (equal weight) - price target 120 (100) pence
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Morgan Stanley cuts Rotork to 'equal-weight'
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RBC cuts Bank of Ireland to 'sector perform' (outperform) - price target EUR15.50
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COMPANIES - FTSE 100
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Unilever completed the demerger of its ice cream business, now known as The Magnum Ice Cream Co NV, on Saturday. Trading in Magnum's shares will commence on Monday in Amsterdam, London and New York. The shares on admission have a nominal value of EUR3.50 each. There are 612.3 million ordinary shares with voting rights, giving the company a nominal valuation of EUR2.14 billion. Also, Unilever said it expects its share consolidation, which shareholders approved at the general meeting on October 21, to take place after the market closes on Monday and take effect on Tuesday.
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COMPANIES - FTSE 250
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Harbour Energy has entered a sale & purchase agreement to sell its operated interests in the producing Natuna Sea Block A field and the Tuna development project in Indonesia to Prime Group, for USD215 million in cash. It is aiming to complete the deal in the second quarter of 2026.
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BlackRock World Mining Trust announced the sale of its BHP Brazil royalty contract to Gold Royalty Corp for a total of USD70 million, which it said is a premium of 105% to the current holding value of USD34.1 million. The trust said the uplift results in approximately a 1.8% increase to its net asset value, and that it will also receive all revenue from the royalty owed for production in 2025 which has not yet been paid.
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Oxford Nanopore Technologies announced the appointment of Francis Van Parys as chief executive officer. He will join the company and board on March 2, succeeding Gordon Sanghera who steps down on the same date but will remain in an advisory capacity through to early 2027.
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OTHER COMPANIES
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Greengage & Co Group announced its intention to seek admission to the Access segment of the AQSE Stock Exchange Growth Market. Greengage, which says it bridges traditional finance and digital assets through a relationship-led fintech platform designed for institutional and professional clients, says its strategy is focused on expanding its existing B2B financial platform and on buying bitcoin to establish a bitcoin yield reserve strategy. It intends to raise funds through a placing and retail offer, mainly to acquire the bitcoin.
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Fermi has signed an electric service agreement with Xcel Energy subsidiary Southwestern Public Service Co to provide up to 200 megawatts of electrical capacity to Fermi's 11 GW Project Matador Campus. SPS will begin delivering 86 MW of capacity in January, "eventually ramping up to 200 MW".
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By Emma Curzon, Alliance News reporter
Comments and questions to [email protected]
Copyright 2025 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Related Shares:
UnileverOxford Nanopore TechnologiesHarbour EnergyBlackRock World Mining Trust plcFermi IncRotorkVodafoneBank Of IrelandBHP Group