London pre-open: Stocks to gain as FTSE eyes 10,000 level

(Sharecast News) - London stocks were set to gain at the open on Thursday, with the top-flight index in touching distance of the 10,000 mark as investors mulled the latest UK GDP figures.

The FTSE 100 was called to open around 15 points higher.

Data from the Office for National Statistics showed the economy unexpectedly shrank in September.

GDP declined by 0.1% on the month following no growth in August - this was revised down from 0.1% growth - and an unrevised fall of 0.1% in July. Economists had been expecting GDP to be unchanged in September.

ONS director of economic statistics, Liz McKeown, said: "Growth slowed further in the third quarter of the year with both services and construction weaker than in the previous period. There was also a further contraction in production.

"Across the quarter as a whole manufacturing drove the weakness in production. There was a particularly marked fall in car production in September, reflecting the impact of a cyber incident, as well as a decline in the often-erratic pharmaceutical industry.

"Services were the main contributor to growth in the latest quarter, with business rental and leasing, live events and retail performing well, partially offset by falls in R&D [research and development] and hair and beauty salons."

In corporate news, Rolls-Royce Holdings reiterated its full-year guidance despite supply chain pressures.

Updating on trading in the 10 months to October end, the aerospace and defence blue chip said it had seen a "strong" performance across the group.

Burberry reported an increase in quarterly comparable store sales for the first time in two years, as the British luxury brand swung to an adjusted operating profit of �19m in the first half to 27 September, compared with a loss of �41m the year before.

Group revenues over the half totalled �1.03bn, down 5% on the year before but flat on a comparable stores basis, as a 1% decline in the first quarter was offset by 2% growth in the second.

Barratt Redrow said chief financial officer Mike Scott had stepped down with immediate effect "by mutual agreement".

The housebuilder added that Scott would be available for transitional support until the end of next January.

Former Rank Group finance director Micheal Passmore is to join the company immediately as interim deputy CFO.

"Barratt Redrow is in a strong financial position following the successful combination with Redrow, current trading remains solid and in line with the AGM trading update published on November 5, 2025," the company said in a short statement.