The FTSE 100 is expected to drop 11 points (0.2 percent) in early trade today after surging 101 points (1.7 percent) on Friday to close at 6,009.
Part-nationalised bank Lloyds (LON:LLOY) led the blue chips on Friday, rising 5 percent. Sector peer Barclays (LON:BARC) added 4.3 percent. Gold producer Randgold Resources (LON:RRS) also did well, climbing 4.7 percent. Satellite telecommunications firm Inmarsat (LON:ISAT) tacked on 3.8 percent.
Private equity group 3i (LON:III) was at the bottom of the pile with a 4.4 percent loss. Government services group Serco (LON:SRP) declined 1.8 percent.
US stocks were on the rise on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) rose 57 points (0.45 percent), the S&P 500 index added 6.5 points (0.5 percent) and the technology heavy NASDAQ composite added 8.5 points (0.3 percent).
Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) led the DJIA constituents, advancing 1.6 percent. General Electric (NYSE:GE), Home Depot (NYSE:HD) and Coca Cola (NYSE:KO) added just over 1 percent.
Intel Corp (NYSE:INTC) moved in the opposite direction, shedding 2.3 percent. Alcoa (NYSE:AA) lost 1.1 percent.
In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 19 points (0.2 percent) today.
Commodities
US light, sweet crude for May delivery rose to US$108.40/barrel.
Precious metals moved higher. Gold reached US$1,429/oz. Silver and platinum rose to US$38.01/oz and US$1,763/oz respectively.
Base metals declined. Copper and nickel retreated to US$4.24/lb and US$11.65/lb and zinc fell to US$1.075/lb.