London pre-open: Footsie seen starting weaker

4th Jan 2010 07:35

Footsie is expected to start the new decade on a slightly weaker note, with company news thin on the ground.The sale of Royal Bank of Scotland's Pakistan unit has fallen through after the deal failed to get the necessary regulatory approvals and complete before the 31 December deadline. Government-owned RBS agreed in August to sell its 99.4% stake in the business to Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB) for $87m.Oil explorer Cairn Energy has secured a second drilling rig to assist its exploration programme in the Disko West area offshore Greenland in the second half of 2010. The rig, the Stena Don, will work alongside the Stena Forth, and help increase Cairn's operational flexibility and capability in its exploration activities.Blue-collar recruitment and training specialist Staffline said earnings for the full year will be in line with upwardly revised market expectations. The group announced in November that it anticipates earnings to be ahead of forecasts.