Markets Overview: (Source: Bloomberg, FT, Reuters, DJ Newswires)

 UK 100 called to open flat this morning at 6788, having made small tentative gains yesterday of just 13 points. With ECB leaving rates unchanged and Draghi just echoing sentiment from his last conference in February the equity markets did little with eyes focused on the US jobs data out at 13:30pm this afternoon.

The S&P500 continued to create new records, almost on a daily basis to close up 3.2 points at 1877, for another closing all-time high. Despite swings the Dow Jones also finished up in the blue by 60 points to finish at 16,421 just 180 points off all-time highs – a positive Non-Farms later could see this reached. Of note Fed’s Lockhart commented last night to echo Yellen’s statement that weak Q1 data is down to the weather and that he does not expect an outstanding jobs report later today.

Asian stocks were mixed with the Nikkei the standout performer up again by almost 1% to 15,274 points for its third weekly advance of 2014. The Hang Seng and ASX both swinging between gains and losses as traders tried to decide whether to have risk on or off ahead of Non-Farms. There were still investors wary of any potential revival of Ukrainian/Russian tensions, following Russian President Putin comments that the Kremlin and White House were still very far apart in their assessment of the crisis.

In Focus today: German Industrial Production at 11:00 (GMT), US Non-Farm payrolls, Unemployment rate and Trade Balance for February due at 13:30 (GMT) and the Fed’s Dudley is scheduled to speak at 17:00 (GMT).

Commodities: The price of Gold reached $1,350.02, slightly below a four month high of $1,350.87 an oz and is headed for a fifth weekly gain ahead of US non-farm payrolls amid Ukrainian Russian tensions. WTI Crude settled at $101.56 a barrel rising 11 cents on the back on fewer Americans filing for unemployment benefits. Brent crude climbed 34 cents or 0.3% to settle $108.10.

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Overnight Macro Data: (Source: Reuters/DJ Newswires)

• Aussie             AIG Construction Perf             Deteriorated
• Japan               Coincident Index                     Beat, Improved
• Japan               Leading Index                          Miss, Improved
• Swiss               Unemployment                        In-line, Unchanged

See Live Macro calendar for all details

UK Company Headlines: (Source: Reuters/DJ Newswires)

• Boohoo.com to have market cap of £560m after £300m placing
• Premier Foods announces pricing of £500m bond
• Alliance Trust Raises Dividend to 10.83p Vs 9.63p
• Aga Rangemaster Group PLC 2013 Full Year Results