Nov 26 - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 7 points higher at
6,398 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.
* UNILEVER: Consumer goods group Unilever UNA.AS ULVR.L has agreed to
buy U.S.-based vitamin company SmartyPants Vitamins, moving further into the
consumer health market. * UK REGULATORS: Britain will borrow almost 400 billion pounds ($535.44
billion) this year to pay for the massive coronavirus hit to its economy,
finance minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday, as he took his first steps to
offset the country's highest budget deficit outside wartime. * CAR OUTPUT: British car production slumped by an annual 18.2% in October
as the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown measures continue to hit demand, said a
trade industry body. * COVID-19: The British government will set out which COVID-19 restrictions
each local authority in England will face when a national lockdown ends next
week, allowing businesses to reopen in areas where infection rates are
lower. * GOLD: Gold prices rose as grim U.S. jobs data and worries over surging
COVID-19 cases worldwide cast doubts over a quick economic recovery and
bolstered the metal's safe-haven appeal. * OIL: Oil rose for a fifth day after a surprise fall in U.S. crude
inventories gave further legs to a rally driven by optimism that vaccines will
end the coronavirus pandemic and revive demand for fuels. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 0.6% lower after Finance Minister
Rishi Sunak flagged a major hit to economic growth from the coronavirus,
prompting an index of domestically-exposed stocks to mark its worst tumble in
nearly a month. UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Britvic Plc BVIC.L FY earnings
Severn Trent Plc SVT.L HY earnings
PayPoint Plc PAYP.L HY earnings
Fuller, Smith & Turner Plc FSTA.L HY earnings
Aviva Plc AV.L Q3 trading update
Mitchells & Butlers Plc MAB.L FY earnings
Jlen Environmental Assets Group JLEN.L HY earnings
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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($1 = 0.7470 pounds)