FTSE 100 set to open higher shortly

On Friday the FTSE 100 was best of a bad bunch again when it came to the relative European stock market weekly closes. The FTSE 100 closed 0.73% lower on the day, compared to a loss of 1.07% for the CAC 40 and 1.48% for the DAX. The FTSE 100 closed 60 points lower, at 8,181.47. After the European close and as the US stock markets tanked some more, the FTSE 100 was priced to reopen close to 8,150 today. However, the rebound in the Nikkei 225 and gains in the US futures have helped to brighten the outlook and right now the FTSE is set to open higher this morning, just now at around 8,225. It is a heavy data release schedule for the UK index this week, with the latest monthly jobs report tomorrow and then a whole raft of data due out on Wednesday, where the latest GDP data will be the highlight. There will be more to add on all that in due course, but for now the UK stock market is set for a higher opening shortly today