(Adds futures, news items)
Jan 14 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 21
points higher at 6,767 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers, with
futures FFIc1 up 0.15% ahead of cash market open.
* TESCO: Tesco TSCO.L followed rivals in reporting buoyant Christmas
trading, as pandemic restrictions meant people splashed out on celebrations at
home. * WHITBREAD: Whitbread WTB.L said it had completed the restructuring of
its hotel and restaurant operations, leading to around 1,500 job cuts, much
lower than the 6,000 it had expected. * BOOHOO: Boohoo BOOH.L raised its annual revenue target after a strong
Christmas holiday season, with the tightening of UK coronavirus curbs again
pushing households to shop more online. * AB FOODS: AB Foods ABF.L warned that the loss of sales from store
closures could rise to over 1 billion pounds. * HALFORDS GROUP: Halfords Group Plc HFD.L posted an 11.5% jump in
third-quarter sales, boosted by a coronavirus-driven boom in cycling as more
Britons avoided public transport. * HAYS: Hays Plc HAYS.L said it was too early to quantify the impact of
new lockdowns in the United Kingdom and Europe, after posting a steep drop in
second-quarter net fees as COVID-19 restrictions stymied new hiring across the
world. * CENTRICA: Centrica CNA.L said its closing net debt last year is expected
to be about 2.8 billion pounds, a reduction of more than 10% on the
year. * TAYLOR WIMPEY: Taylor Wimpey TW.L said its 2020 operating profit would
meet market expectations on pent-up demand in the second half of the
year. * SENIOR: Senior Plc SNR.L forecast annual loss to be slightly smaller
than previous expectations. * GOLD: Gold prices inched lower as U.S. Treasury yields and the dollar
rebounded, while investors awaited details on incoming U.S. President Joe
Biden's coronavirus stimulus proposal. * OIL: Oil prices eased as mounting coronavirus cases globally raised demand
concerns. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 0.1% lower on Wednesday as rising
coronavirus cases and fresh lockdowns imposed across Europe raised caution about
the near-term effects on the economy. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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