(Adds futures, news items)
Jan 21 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 32
points lower at 7,619 on Tuesday, according to financial bookmakers, with
futures FFIc1 down 0.4% ahead of the cash market open.
* BP: Oil major BP Plc BP.L said its finance chief Brian Gilvary will be
retiring after eight years in the role, with the announcement coming just two
weeks before Bernard Looney takes over as chief executive officer. * EASYJET: British low-cost airline easyJet EZJ.L said its first-half
winter performance would improve from last year, helped by robust travel demand
and a slight easing of competition in the European short-haul flying market.
* MEARS: Britain's Mears Group Plc MERG.L said it was in advanced talks to
sell its England and Wales Domiciliary Care business units that would affect
about 1,500 jobs across 18 branches. * IG GROUP: British online trading platform IG Group Holdings IGG.L said
its first-half profit fell 10% as it struggled with stricter regulations in
Europe and Britain that curbed trading in certain products. * TALKTALK: British broadband supplier TalkTalk TALK.L said it had agreed
to sell its fibre network, which initially built ultra-fast connections in the
northern city of York, to Goldman Sachs-backed CityFibre for 200 million pounds
($260 million). * DIXONS CARPHONE: British retailer Dixons Carphone DC.L reported flat
overall underlying revenue over the key Christmas period, with sales growth in
electricals offset by falling mobile phone sales. * BHP: BHP Group BHP.AX , BHPB.L , the world's biggest miner, maintained
its forecasts for full-year iron ore and thermal coal output, despite production
of the latter being hit by the Australian bushfires. * STAGECOACH: British transport company Stagecoach SGC.L is taking the
government to court after it was excluded from bidding for rail contracts, in
the latest clash between a private company and the state in the troubled rail
franchising system. * SAVANNAH PETROLEUM: London-listed Savannah Petroleum SAVP.L told Reuters
on Monday it would consider oil and gas acquisitions in Nigeria
opportunistically, calling a purchase completed late last year the starting kit
for further expansion.
* OIL: Oil prices fell nearly one percent on Tuesday as investors expected
Libya's oil production to eventually resume following a force majeure declared
by the oil exporter on two major oilfields amid a military blockade.
* IRONORE: Steel futures in China slipped after four straight sessions of
gains on concerns over slowing housing demand and the potential economic fallout
from an outbreak of a new flu-like coronavirus in the country. * GOLD: Gold prices rose to a two-week high as the virus outbreak stoked
fears of a wider epidemic that could hamper economic growth, sparking a sudden
bout of risk aversion and sell-off in Asian stocks. * Recurring fears of a hard Brexit and bets that the Bank of England will
cut interest rates hit London's FTSE 100 on Monday, while premium tonic water
maker Fevertree endured its worst day ever. UK PAPERS
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