(Adds news items; updates futures)
Oct 23 (Reuters) - Futures for Britain's FTSE 100 index FFIc1 were seen up
0.02% ahead of cash market open on Friday, according to financial bookmakers.
* INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS: Holiday Inn-owner InterContinental Hotels IHG.L
posted a plunge in third-quarter hotel room revenue (RevPAR), as the COVID-19
pandemic continued to ravage the travel and hospitality industry. * BRITISH RETAIL: British retail sales beat expectations last month and grew
for a fifth month in a row, taking total sales volumes to 5.5% above their level
before the pandemic. * THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE: The London Stock Exchange LSE.L said it
expects to close its $27 billion purchase of data analytics firm Refinitiv in
the first quarter of 2021 and posted a 2% increase in third-quarter total
income. * BARCLAYS: Barclays BARC.L reported much better than expected third
quarter earnings, as its consumer businesses swung back to profit and provisions
against bad loans fell compared with the previous quarter. * ASTRAZENECA: The Peruvian government refused to sign a coronavirus vaccine
purchase agreement with AstraZeneca PLC AZN.L because it did not provide
sufficient data from its studies and offered minimal amounts of inoculations.
* ITM POWER: Italian gas group Snam SRG.MI said on Thursday it would buy a
minority stake in ITM Power ITM.L as part of a broader agreement with the
British company to help it develop its green hydrogen business. * GOLD: Gold edged up on hopes that a U.S. stimulus package would eventually
be passed, boosting the metal's appeal as an inflation hedge, although a
stronger dollar capped gains. * OIL: Oil prices held on to gains from the previous session, after Russian
President Vladimir Putin indicated he would be prepared to extend record supply
cuts in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 0.2% higher on Thursday after a
positive update on AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine candidate and as UK finance
minister Rishi Sunak unveiled more support for businesses hit by the
pandemic. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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