June 10 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 18
points higher at 6,353 on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers.
* SEGRO: Warehousing specialist Segro SGRO.L said on Tuesday it would
raise about 650 million pounds ($827.58 million) through private share placement
to fund its expansion across the United Kingdom and continental Europe.
* DRAX: Britain's largest union said on Tuesday it would hold a ballot for
industrial action later this month over the closure of two coal-fired generation
units at Drax Group's DRX.L Selby power plant in north Yorkshire. * ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca AZN.L on Tuesday received $23.7 million in
funding from a U.S. government agency to advance the development of
antibody-based COVID-19 treatments as the British drugmaker ramps up efforts
beyond its potential vaccine to combat the pandemic. * GLAXOSMITHKLINE: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) GSK.L has started a trial in the
United States to test an experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug on patients
suffering from pneumonia caused by COVID-19, the British drugmaker said on
Tuesday. * SHELL: Oil company Royal Dutch Shell Plc RDSa.L said on Tuesday it had
resumed activities at its Bajada de Añelo block in Argentina's Vaca Muerta area
after seismic activity in the region led to a halt late last week. * VODAFONE: Thousands of British customers of Vodafone Group Plc VOD.L ,
the world's second-biggest mobile operator, faced call connection problems on
Tuesday evening, although they were resolved within an hour. * GOLD: Gold extended gains on Wednesday as global equity markets eased
after a recent rally, while U.S. Treasury yields dropped ahead of the outcome of
the Federal Reserve's meeting that is expected to shed light on the state of the
economy and further stimulus. * OIL: Oil prices fell on Wednesday after data showed a rise in crude and
fuel stockpiles in the United States, reviving concerns about oversupply and
falling fuel demand in the world's largest crude consumer amid the coronavirus
outbreak. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 2.1% lower on Tuesday, weighed down
by forecast cuts from British American Tobacco, while HSBC dropped after a
leading shareholder said it was uneasy over the company's decision to back a new
security law in Hong Kong. UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Shaftesbury Plc SHB.L HY earnings release
Londonmetric Property Plc LMPL.L FY earnings release
Paragon Banking Group Plc PAGPA.L HY earnings release
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