April 9 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 30
points lower at 5,707 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.
* NMC HEALTH: Healthcare company NMC Health NMC.L said on Wednesday it
expects to be placed into administration in due course, following weeks of
uncertainty relating to its debt levels and undisclosed shareholder dealings.
* BANKS: Top executives at British lenders HSBC HSBA.L , Standard Chartered
STAN.L and NatWest RBS.L said on Wednesday they would take salary cuts after
pressure on bankers to show solidarity with customers struggling to make ends
meet during the coronavirus crisis. * RESTAURANT GROUP: Frankie and Benny's chain owner Restaurant Group RTN.L
said on Wednesday it expects a 50% slide in total sales for the full year 2020,
assuming all its restaurants and pubs remain closed until the end of June, due
to the coronavirus lockdown. * BP: Golar LNG Ltd GLNG.O said on Tuesday it received a force majeure
notice from a BP BP.L unit seeking to delay by a year receipt of a floating
liquefied natural gas facility for the African Tortue Ahmeyim project.
* GOLD: Gold prices inched higher on Thursday on a weak dollar amid
improving risk sentiment on hopes that the novel coronavirus pandemic is nearing
a peak. * OIL: Crude futures rose on Thursday on expectations the world's largest
oil producers would agree to cut production at a meeting later in the day as the
industry grapples with the coronavirus-driven collapse in global oil demand.
* The UK blue-chip index .FTSE ended 0.5% lower on Wednesday, as a rising
global death toll crushed hopes that the coronavirus crisis was subsiding, while
insurers took a hit over halts in dividend payments and Tesco warned of a surge
in costs. UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Venture Life VLG.L Full Year 2019 Earnings
EnQuest ENQ.L Full Year 2019 Earnings
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
LIVE/
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times PRESS/FT
> Other business headlines PRESS/GB