Investors seem in a wait-and-see mood ahead of a barrage of company results today and some key US economic data over the next two days.
Spread betting quotes suggest that, after shedding 5 points yesterday, the FTSE 100 will give up another fiver when it opens.
This is despite a generally solid performance yesterday from US benchmarks, ahead of US gross domestic product data today and October's jobless figures tomorrow.
The Dow advanced 0.8% yesterday to 15,747, while the broader-based S&P 500 added 0.4% at 1,770 but the tech-heavy NASDAQ failed to join the party, easing 0.2%.
Also in decline are the main Asian indices, with Japan's Nikkei 225 off 0.8% at 14,228 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index down 0.6% at 22,898.
There will be plenty of trading updates for analysts to pore over in the UK, with insurance giants Aviva (LON:AV.) and RSA (LON:RSA) plus mining titans Randgold (LON:RRS) and ENRC (LON:ENRC) among the many set to report.