A very good morning to all....Rick
Headline shares are expected to start the session a touch higher, despite overnight falls on Wall Street, with minutes from the latest meeting of the MPC set to grab investors' attention.
According to spreadbetting firm IG Index, the FTSE100 is set to open 3 points higher at around 5,551, having closed yesterday at 5,547.9, a four year high.
On Wall Street, US stocks closed lower as strategists suggested the year-end rally may have peaked, with embattled General Motors falling within striking distance of its all-time low stock price.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 30.98 points at 10,805.55.
Crude futures closed higher for the first time in five sessions, supported by expectations for stronger demand from China and a decline in last week's US crude supplies, as well as reports of an oil pipeline blast in Nigeria.
Crude for January delivery rose 64 cents to close at $57.98 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Meanwhile, in Asia, the Nikkei closed up 316.31 points at 15,957.57 while the Hang Seng ended the morning up 76.46 points at 15,245.63.