The FTSE 100 is expected to shed 7 points (0.1 percent) in early trade after rising 47.5 points (0.8 percent) on Thursday to close at 5,856. Yesterday’s US jobless claims data unexpectedly showed an increase of 1,000 in initial jobless claims, which now stand at 427,000. Engineering company Weir Group (LON:WEIR) led the blue chips, tacking on nearly 5 percent. Insurance sector focused investor Resolution (LON:RSL) followed, rising 4 percent. Builders’ merchant Wolseley (LON:WOS) advanced 3.4 percent. Credit information group Experian (LON:EXPN) and oil and gas services company Wood Group (LON:WG) rose 3 percent. Tour operator TUI Travel (LON:TT) and part-nationalised bank Lloyds (LON:LLOY) were at the bottom of the pile with losses of about 2 percent. Engineering firm Smiths Group (LON:SMIN) and Imperial Tobacco Group (LON:IMT) fell 1.4 percent. US markets were in buying mode yesterday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) climbed 75 points (0.6 percent) to 12,124. The broader S&P 500 index advanced 9.5 points (0.75 percent) to 1,289. JP Morgan (NYSE:JPM) led the DJIA components, climbing 1.5 percent. DuPont (NYSE:DD), Chevron (NYSE:CVX), United Technologies (NYSE:UTX), Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) and 3M (NYSE:MMM) added just over 1 percent. Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) advanced 1 percent. In Asia, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 52 points (0.55 percent) to 9,519 and China’s Shanghai Composite Index dropped 19.5 points (0.7 percent) to 2,683.

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