Market overview: US current account deficit widens

1425: The US current account deficit widened to $100.3bn in the third quarter from $98.4bn, more than the forecast of $97.5bn.

1343: US inflation slowed to 1.3% year-on-year in November from 1.7% a month earlier, more than the 1.4% expected by analysts.

1130: Eurozone inflation rose 0.3% year-on-year in November, Eurostat confirmed, as expected. Inflation remains well below the European Central Bank’s (ECB) target of just under 2%.

1000: The UK unemployment rate held at 6% in the three months to October, compared to expectations of 5.9%. The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in November fell by 26,900 to 900,100.

0930: Members of the BoE's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 7-2 in favour of keeping the cost of borrowing at 0.5% for the fifth month in a row, minutes of the 4 December meeting revealed.

0900: UK stocks have started the morning moving lower, led by losses in IAG and Mondi. Dixons Carphone and Aberdeen Asset Management are doing best early on. Jobless claims jumped by 26,900 in November (consensus: -20,000). As expected, at its last meeting the MPC voted 7-2 in favour of keeping rates on hold. That comes as the Fed is due to hold its latest policy meeting tonight. Certainly, all eyes will be on the reaction in US Treasury markets, should the FOMC opt to remove the reference to maintaining rates low for a considerable time following the end of quantitative easing. FTSE 100 down 46 points to 6,286.