Gold prices steady above $3,400/oz on rate cut bets; PCE data awaited
Jan 10 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 28
points higher at 7,626 on Monday, according to financial bookmakers.
* SHELL: Royal Dutch Shell Plc RDSa.L is looking to sell its oil refinery
in Anacortes, Washington, according to three people familiar with the matter.
* INEOS: A subsidiary of British chemical giant INEOS Group INEOSG.UL will
build a plant with an annual capacity of 600,000 tonnes of acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene (ABS), a lightweight plastic used in automobiles and
electrical appliances, in China. * ECONOMY: Optimism at major British companies has improved by the largest
margin in at least 11 years after Prime Minister Boris Johnson won a sweeping
election victory last month, according to a survey from accountants Deloitte.
* JOBS: British employers last month increased their number of new permanent
staff for the first time in a year, reflecting a modest rise in optimism after
December's election, a survey of recruiters showed. * GOLD: Gold prices fell and were set for their worst week in five as easing
tensions in the Middle East prompted investors to move back to riskier bets.
* OIL: Oil prices dropped extending days of losses as the threat of war in
the Middle East receded and investors switched attention to economic growth
prospects and the rise in U.S. crude oil and product inventories. * London's main share index advanced on Thursday as chances of a full-blown
crisis in the Middle East waned, but mid-caps lagged as SIG and Marks and
Spencer fell after warning of lower annual results. UK CORPORATE DIARY:
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