17th Apr 2026 06:58
(Alliance News) - Stocks in London are set to open slightly higher on Friday, as markets continue to tread water while focus turns to potential US-Iran peace talks.
IG says futures indicate the FTSE 100 to open 13.6 points higher, 0.1%, at 10,603.59 on Friday. The index of London large-caps closed up 0.3% at 10,589.99 on Thursday.
Sterling was quoted at USD1.3517 early Friday, lower than USD1.3532 at the London equities close on Thursday. Against the euro, sterling fell to EUR1.1474 from EUR1.1489 a day prior.
The euro traded at USD1.1782 early Friday, higher than USD1.1777 late Thursday. Against the yen, the dollar was quoted at JPY159.49 versus JPY159.16.
US President Donald Trump said the US and Iran were "very close" to reaching a peace deal and that he would consider travelling to Pakistan to sign an agreement.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said Tehran had agreed to hand over its stockpile of enriched uranium, referring to it as "nuclear dust", as both sides weigh further talks in Islamabad.
He praised Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Asim Munir for helping broker negotiations.
Trump also described the conflict as a "little diversion" during his presidency, defending military action as necessary given Iran's nuclear potential.
Meanwhile, a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has taken effect after being announced by Trump, who said he hopes to host a meeting between the two countries' leaders in the coming days.
Brent oil was trading at USD98.06 a barrel early Friday, lower than USD98.39 late Thursday.
Back in the UK, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the government continues "to work very constructively" with the US administration despite tensions over the Iran conflict.
Reeves said the trade agreement struck last year benefits both countries and that cooperation remains ongoing, even as both sides have exchanged criticism amid the global economic fallout and rising energy prices.
In the US on Thursday, Wall Street ended higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.2%, the S&P 500 up 0.3% and the Nasdaq Composite up 0.4%.
Netflix shares plunged 9.6% in after-hours trading on Thursday after the company said co-founder and Chair Reed Hastings will step down in June and forecast second-quarter sales below expectations.
The Los Gatos-based firm reported net income of USD5.28 billion for the three months to March 31, up from USD2.89 billion a year earlier. Revenue rose 16% to USD12.25 billion from USD10.54 billion, driven by membership growth, pricing increases and advertising. Diluted earnings per share increased to USD1.23 from USD0.66.
Netflix continues to project 2026 revenue of USD50.7 billion to USD51.7 billion and an operating margin of 31.5%.
In Asia on Friday, the Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo was down 1.0%. In China, the Shanghai Composite was down 0.2%, while the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong fell 1.3%. The S&P/ASX 200 in Sydney closed down 0.2%.
Gold was quoted at USD4,797.95 an ounce early Friday, lower than USD4,802.13 on Thursday.
In Friday's corporate calendar, discoverIE Group issues a trading statement.
In the economic calendar on Friday, eurozone current account and eurozone trade balance data are due.
By Eva Castanedo, Alliance News reporter
Comments and questions to [email protected]
Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.