Source: Sharecast
The FTSE 100 was called to open around five points higher.
On home shores, the latest data from Rightmove showed that house price growth slowed in February as the stamp duty deadline loomed, but activity remained "robust".
House prices rose 0.5% on the month following a 1.7% increase in January. On the year, meanwhile, house prices were up 1.4% in February, down from 1.8% growth the month before.
The average price of a home stood at £367,994 this month, versus £366,189 in January.
Colleen Babcock, property expert at Rightmove, said: "New sellers are showing some pricing restraint after a fast start to the year, being mindful of both the high level of seller competition, and in England also of the looming stamp duty deadline and extra costs for some buyers. Agents report that some of the steam is coming out of new sellers’ price expectations to fit the changing market conditions, which is a sensible reaction to attract buyer interest, and it will also help to support activity levels.
"The upcoming stamp duty deadline in England remains a key talking point, and while some movers may not be affected at all, others will be more severely impacted. We’ve previously suggested reforms such as regional variations in stamp duty charges to try and address some of the inequities in the current system. With the predicted conveyancing log-jam likely to cause some buyers to miss the deadline and end up paying more tax through no fault of their own, it would seem justifiable for the government to announce a short extension before the end of March."
In corporate news, Assura confirmed that it has received four non-binding acquisition proposals from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), most recently offering 48p per share, valuing the company at £1.56bn, although its board had unanimously rejected all of them.
The FTSE 250 company said the proposal represented a 28.2% premium to Assura’s closing share price on 13 February, but a 2.8% discount to its EPRA net tangible asset value per share.
KKR was reportedly considering whether to continue pursuing discussions, and would need to decide by 14 March whether to make a firm offer or withdraw its interest.
Elsewhere, GSK said the US Food and Drug Administration has approved its Penmenvy drug to treat meningitis for use in individuals aged 10 - 25 years.
The vaccine targets five major serogroups of Neisseria meningitidis (A, B, C, W, and Y) which commonly cause invasive meningococcal disease (IMD).
The vaccine combines the antigenic components of GSK's two meningococcal vaccines, Bexsero and Menveo.
The regulatory application was supported by positive results from two phase III trials, which evaluated its safety, tolerability, and immune response in more than 4,800 participants.
