July 16 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 20
points lower at 6,273 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.
* OIL COMPANIES: A group of the world's top oil companies including Saudi
Aramco (SE:2222), China's CNPC and Exxon Mobil XOM.N have for the first time set targets
to cut their combined greenhouse gas emission. * CAR INSURANCE: The cost of a comprehensive motor insurance policy in
Britain fell 5% in the second quarter. * BREXIT TRADE: Britain publishes plans to keep trade flowing freely between
its constituent nations when regulatory powers are reclaimed from the European
Union. * CARNIVAL: Carnival Corp CCL.L CCL.N is planning to raise about $1.26
billion in a bond offering, the beleaguered cruise operator said on Wednesday.
* FISCAL POLICY: Britain may need to run tighter fiscal policy than it has
in the past during good economic times due to an apparent increase in the
frequency of 'once in a generation' economic shocks, finance minister Rishi
Sunak said. * OIL: Oil prices slid after OPEC and allies such as Russia agreed to ease
record supply curbs from August. * GOLD: Gold prices held steady near a nine-year peak, as concerns over
rising coronavirus cases and simmering U.S.-China tensions offset some silver
linings from Chinese economic data. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE ended up 1.8% on Wednesday, as signs of
progress in developing a COVID-19 vaccine bolstered hopes of a swift
post-pandemic economic rebound. UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Anglo American AAL.L Q2 production report
Mirada PLC MIRA.L FY Earnings Releases
Hays PLC HAYS.L Q4 Trading statement
Experian EXPN.L Q1 update
GVC GVC.L Trading update
SSE SSE.L Q1 trading statement
* 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