(Adds futures, news items)
Dec 1 - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 39 points higher at
6,305 on Tuesday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures down 0.12%
ahead of the cash market open.
* TOPPS TILES: Topps Tiles TPT.L posted a 78% slide in full-year profit
and did not propose a final dividend as coronavirus restrictions prompted the
company to close stores temporarily in the third quarter. * ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca AZN.L said it would sell rights to its
cholesterol drug, Crestor, to German pharmaceutical company Grünenthal GmbH for
an upfront payment of $320 million. * PETS AT HOME: Pets at Home Group PETSP.L said it sold five specialist
referral practices to veterinary company Linnaeus Group for 100 million pounds
($133.84 million) in cash, as it looks to focus on its customer-facing
business. * LLYODS: Credit Suisse CSGN.S said it has proposed outgoing Lloyds
Banking Group LLOY.L CEO António Horta-Osório as its candidate to succeed Urs
Rohner as chairman after the latter's nearly 10 years in the job. * GOLD: Gold prices gained after a steep sell-off to near five-month lows in
the previous session renewed interest in the safe-haven metal with rising
COVID-19 cases clouding the economic outlook. * OIL: Oil prices fell as concerns over mounting supply returned to the fore
after leading producers delayed talks on 2021 output policy that could extend
cuts as the coronavirus pandemic continues to sap fuel demand. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 1.6% lower on Monday, but recorded
its biggest monthly gain in over three decades as investors bet on a working
COVID-19 vaccine to speed up an economic recovery next year. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
LIVE/
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times PRESS/FT
> Other business headlines PRESS/GB