(Adds news items, futures)
Sept 26 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening down 6
points to 7,284 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures
FFIc1 down 0.03% ahead of the cash market open.
* ICAG: British Airways owner IAG ICAG.L said it expects full-year
operating pretax profit to be 215 million euros lower than last year, as pilot
strikes led to thousands of cancelled flights and disruptions at the airline.
* SSE: Utility SSE Plc SSE.L warned that annual profit at its electricity
distribution business would be 25 million pounds ($30.89 million) lower than its
prior forecast because of lower-than-expected volumes. * WOODFORD: Woodford Patient Capital Trust plc WPCT.L , the listed trust
run by money manager Neil Woodford, said that its administrator would cut the
valuations of three of its holdings due to a "challenging fundraising
environment." * CRH: Ireland's CRH CRH.I said it had appointed Richard Boucher as the
company's new chairman to replace Nicky Hartery who will retire at the end of
the year. * PEARSON: British education company Pearson PSON.L warned its full year
profit would be at the bottom of its guided range, blaming weaker than expected
trading in its U.S. higher education courseware business in the key selling
season. * IMPERIAL BRANDS: British tobacco company Imperial Brands Plc IMB.L said
it now expects full-year profit to be flat compared to last year in the face of
a regulatory backlash against vaping in the United States that could reshape the
industry. * BARCLAYS: Barclays BARC.L Chairman Nigel Higgins has secured two of the
biggest names in global finance to revitalise the board of the British lender,
in its latest attempt to quell dissent from rebel shareholder Edward Bramson.
* SAINSBURY: The chief executive of Britain's Sainsbury's SBRY.L has
reaffirmed his commitment to leading the supermarket group, saying a major
investor event on Wednesday was not a beauty contest for his potential
replacement. * PRUDENTIAL: Professional loan provider PRU.L will spin off its UK and
European insurance and asset management business M&G in October, Britain's
largest insurer said in a prospectus published on Wednesday, dividing the
insurance giant into two large-cap stocks. * BAE SYSTEMS: British military equipment manufacturer, BAES.L has been
awarded a $2.7 billion U.S. defense contract for production of the Advanced
Precision Kill Weapon System, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.
* OIL: Oil prices were steady on Thursday after falling the previous two
sessions on industry concerns about rising supplies and signs of slowing
demand. * GOLD: Gold prices inched up as a sharp drop in the previous session
attracted some bargain hunters, but a stronger dollar as U.S. President Donald
Trump hinted at a Sino-U.S. trade deal kept the gains in check. * EX-DIVS: Hargreaves HRGV.L , Intertek ITRK.L , Morrison MRW.L and
Smurfit Kappa SKG.L will trade without entitlement to its latest dividend
pay-out on Thursday, trimming 1.1 points off the FTSE 100, according to Reuters
calculations.
* The UK blue chip index closed flat on Wednesday after recovering from an
initial slide, with the help of a steep drop in sterling, as UK stocks were
weighed down by uncertainty over Brexit as parliament reconvened after a court
ruling against the prime minister. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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