London pre-open: Stocks to rise ahead of further peace talks
London stocks were set to rise at the open on Tuesday following a positive session on Wall Street, as investors eyed further talks between Russia and Ukraine.
The FTSE 100 was called to open 48 points higher at 7,521.
Danske Bank said: "Peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia will resume in Turkey today, but reports about a potential poisoning of previous peace talk participants leave some uncertainty.
"US consumer confidence is the data highlight of the day, but we'll also keep an eye on job openings and quits data for February to gauge the tightness of the labour market. Later in the afternoon, comments from Fed's Harker could capture markets' attention."
In corporate news, online betting company 888 Holdings said it has signed an agreement with five industry veterans to form a new joint venture that will operate its brands across selected African markets.
The company said it had invested in a minority stake in 888AFRICA, with the option to increase this to take control, and ultimately own up to 100% of the venture in the future. No financial details were disclosed.
Drugmaker AstraZeneca revealed that its Ondexxya asset had become the first approved medicine in Japan to specifically reverse the anticoagulant effect of Factor Xa inhibitors, providing "a major advance" in the treatment of patients hospitalised with life-threatening bleeding.
AstraZeneca stated the approval by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare was based on positive results from its ANNEXA-4 Phase III clinical trial, which showed Ondexxya "rapidly and markedly" reversed anti-FXa activity in patients with acute major bleeding.
Polymetal International said it was considering changes to its corporate structure including "distinct ownership in various jurisdictions" where the company operates. The Russia-focused miner said its deliberations were at an early stage.