Market overview: Weekly US unemployment claims edge higher

1330: Initial weekly unemployment claims increased by 7,000 to 284,000 over the seven days ending on 9 January, according to the Department of Labor. Economists at Barclays had pencilled in a rise to 275,000.

1330: The US import price index retreated by 8.2% year-on-year in December (consensus: -8.4%).

1237: Some ECB governing council members called for a 20 basis point cut to interest rates when they met in December, according to the minutes of the meeting.

1220: The PBoC is said to plan a modest depreciation of the CNY in 2016, according to sources, one report claims citing the Wall Street Journal.

1200: The MPC voted 8-1 to keep Bank Rate and the size of the central bank's asset purchase facility unchanged at £375bn.

1140: JPMorgan Chase & Co posted a 10.2% rise in fourth quarter profit, surpassing expectations thanks to a drop in expenses and a solid performance in the investment banking division. Earnings per share, excluding litigation and CVA/DVA adjustments, printed at $1.40 (consensus: $1.27).

0902: Stocks have started lower out of the gate, weighed down by weakness overnight in US markets. The shares of companies with exposure to the US such as Ashtead, IHG and IAG are leading fallers. Miners on the other hand are actually higher, although it is Tesco and Burberry which are doing best following their latest updates. Out on the FTSE 250, Restaurant Group is at the bottom of the pile on the heels of a profit warning. China's PBoC left its yuan fixing unchanged. To watch out for, the MPC might surprise with its dovishness, Lloyd's Bank said. Should that be the case, it might weigh on the pound. Results from JP Morgan and Intel were also looming large on traders' screens, as was an afternoon speech from the Fed's James Bullard scheduled for later in the day. FTSE 100 down 109.01 points to 5,851.62.