FTSE 100 to start Thursday on the front foot

The FTSE 100 is set to start Thursday on the front foot although through this shortened week markets are marking time somewhat. CFD firm IG Markets sees the London benchmark up around 16 points, making a price of 7,113 to 7,116 with just over an hour to go until the open. US employment stats – the first of which comes out tonight - are the main macro-focus along with European PMI data, also due later. The monthly stats come as inflation remains not very far from policy maker’s thinking, and the usual central bank second-guessing is bound to follow shortly after the respective prints. The corporate diary is quite light again in this bank holiday week, albeit discount retailer B&M and water utility Pennon are among the notable names in the book for Thursday. Last night saw a muted but slightly positive markets. Wall Street finished Wednesday positively, albeit only slightly. The Dow Jones added just 25 points or 0.07% closing at 34,600, whilst the S&P 500 similarly gained just 0.14% to finish the day at 4,308. The Nasdaq was up 19 points or 0.14% ending Wednesday at 13,756. In Asia, trading was mixed. Japan’s Nikkei advanced 131 points or 0.45% to 29,076. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 184 points or 0.6% lower to 29,121, whilst the Shanghai Composite edged slightly higher to trade at 3,606. Around the markets The pound: 1.4152, down 0.13% Gold: US$1,901 per ounce, down 0.35% Silver: US$27.99 per ounce, down 0.59% Brent Crude: US$71.89 per barrel, up 2.3% WTI Crude: US$69.34 per barrel, up 2.4% Bitcoin: US$38,793, up 5.56% 6.50am: Early Markets - Asia / Australia Stocks in the Asia-Pacific region were mostly higher on Thursday as Australia’s retail sales rose 1.1% month-on-month in April on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the country’s Bureau of Statistics. The Shanghai Composite in China lifted 0.24% but Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 0.61% In Japan, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.29% while South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.79%. Shares in Australia lifted, with the S&P/ASX 200 trading 0.50% higher. READ OUR ASX REPORT HERE Proactive Australia news: Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX:PDI) has extended NE Bankan prospect at depth with strong gold grades of up to 5 metres at 2.4 g/t from 245 metres in diamond drilling at the Bankan Gold Project in Guinea. Nova Minerals Ltd (OTCMKTS:NVAAF) (ASX:NVA) (FRA:QM3) has welcomed a resource update from the Thompson Brothers Lithium Project in Canada through its majority- owned subsidiary Snow Lake Resources Ltd. Creso Pharma Ltd (ASX:CPH) (FRA:1X8) has traded higher on news that target acquisition company Halucenex Life Sciences Inc is looking to capitalise on recent regulatory shifts in the Californian healthcare market with its psychedelic products. Strategic Elements Ltd (ASX:SOR) is to negotiate a new agreement with global Fortune 100 software-industrial company Honeywell International Inc (NASDAQ:HON) to further develop and commercialise the Autonomous Security Vehicle (ASV). Lithium Australia NL (ASX:LIT) (OTCMKTS:LMMFF) (FRA:3MW) has received a standard patent ‘Certificate of Grant’ from IP Australia for its SiLeach® extraction technology for low-energy recovery of lithium from micas - potentially a short-cut in the production of lithium-ion batteries. Miramar Resources Ltd (ASX:M2R) has kickstarted a reverse circulation (RC) and aircore drilling campaign at the Gidji Gold Project Joint Venture (JV) in WA’s Eastern Goldfields. European Lithium “at forefront of Europe’s battle for white gold”, Spark Plus reports European Lithium Ltd (ASX:EUR) (FRA:PF8) has welcomed a research report by Spark Plus Pte Ltd analyst Cyprus Sia who says the company is leading the charge to be among the first few electric vehicle (EV) battery-grade lithium suppliers within Europe by 2023. Twenty Seven Co Ltd (ASX:TSC) has completed a 662 hole auger drilling campaign for 987 metres over the entire Yarbu tenement package, providing an unparallel geochemical insight into an underexplored part of the Marda-Diemals Greenstone Belt. Shree Minerals Limited (ASX:SHH) has discovered new copper occurrences during its first site visit to the Edwards Creek Project in the Northern Territory and this comes at a time of very positive copper market fundamentals. Matador Mining Ltd (ASX:MZZ) (OTCMKTS:MZZMF) (FRA:MA3) has boosted its landholding across a major Newfoundland gold region following a strategic review.