(Adds news items and futures)
Feb 3 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 15 points
higher on Monday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures up 0.4% ahead
of the cash market open.
* IMPERIAL BRANDS: Tobacco company Imperial Brands IMB.L appointed Stefan
Bomhard as chief executive officer to replace Alison Cooper, whose departure was
announced last October. * RYANAIR: Ryanair RYA.I may have to push back its long-term target of
flying 200 million passengers per year by as much as two years due to delays in
the delivery of Boeing's BA.N 737 MAX jet, Europe's largest low-cost carrier
said. * BURFORD CAPITAL: Burford Capital BURF.L , the litigation funder embroiled
in a stand-off with short-seller Muddy Waters, said profit for 2019 would be
lower due to a drop in net realised and unrealised gains.
* BRITAIN'S FINANCIAL CONDUCT AUTHORITY: Credit card firms must review how
they treat customers that have been in persistent debt to help them save up to
1.3 billion pounds a year in lower interest charges, Britain's Financial Conduct
Authority said.
* GSK: British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline Plc GSK.L is collaborating with
the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to contribute towards
the effort of developing a vaccine for the coronavirus outbreak, GSK and CEPI
said. * ECONOMY: British businesses predict the strongest rebound in output in
more than a year over the next three months, after a weak end to 2019, adding to
expectations of a post-election pick-up in the economy, a survey showed on
Sunday. * TRADE DEAL: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson would consider a looser
trade agreement with the European Union, similar to the bloc's ties with
Australia, rather than follow EU rules to reach a closer deal, a government
source said on Saturday. * JUST EAT: Dutch online food ordering company Takeaway.com TKWY.AS on
Friday declared its $7.8 billion takeover of British peer Just Eat JE.L
unconditional, though the two companies still need a competition authority's
approval before merging operations. * OIL: Oil prices extended their losses, dragged down by worries about lower
demand in China, the world's largest oil importer, following a coronavirus
outbreak there. * GOLD: Gold prices dipped after hitting a near four-week high on Monday, as
China's central bank cut reverse repo rates and injected liquidity into markets
to help support the economy hit by a rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak.
* London's FTSE 100 tumbled to a seven-week low on Friday as the first cases
of coronavirus in Britain fanned concerns over the economic impact to the
country. TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times PRESS/FT
> Other business headlines PRESS/GB