(Adds futures, news items)
Jan 7 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 33 points
higher at 7,608 on Tuesday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures
FFIc1 up 0.4% ahead of the cash market open.
* SHELL: Dutch Shell RDSa.L has planned maintenance at its Queensland
Curtis liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant for mid-2021, a notice on the
Australia Energy Market Operator (AEMO) website showed. * PREMIER OIL: Premier Oil PMO.L is set to buy stakes in North Sea
oilfields Andrew and Shearwater from BP BP.L for $625 million and increase its
stake in the Tolmount gas project in a deal with Dana worth $191 million,
Premier said. * ASTON MARTIN: Luxury British carmaker Aston Martin AML.L warned that its
annual core profit would plummet more than 45% from last year, as weak demand in
Europe led to a drop in wholesale volumes. * BURFORD: Litigation funder Burford Capital BURF.L said that a U.S.
securities class action lawsuit against the company filed in August last year
has been withdrawn by the plaintiffs and dismissed. * MORRISONS: Morrisons MRW.L , Britain's fourth largest supermarket group,
reported another fall in underlying sales over Christmas, blaming a tough
economic backdrop and sustained consumer uncertainty. * ZEGONA: Zegona Communications ZEG.L , a telecoms investment firm that
owns a stake in Spain's Euskaltel EKTL.MC , said it would buy back 10 million
pounds ($13 million) worth of its shares, which trade at a discount to the value
of its investments and cash. * BENTLEY: British luxury carmaker Bentley returned to profitability in
2019, helped by a 5% sales increase after a strong performance in Europe and the
Americas, the Volkswagen-owned VOWG_p.DE brand said. * ROLLS-ROYCE: Luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce said it recorded a 25% jump in
sales in 2019, underpinned by solid demand for its first-ever SUV, Cullinan,
just a year after the launch. * FINANCIAL SECTOR: Britain's financial industry paid a record near-$100
billion in taxes in the year to March, reaffirming its central role in funding
the state at a time when its future prospects have been clouded by Brexit.
* BUDGET: British finance minister Sajid Javid will deliver the government's
first post-Brexit budget on March 11, promising more investment to help voters
who gave Prime Minister Boris Johnson a sweeping election win last month.
* OIL: Oil prices slid as investors reconsidered the likelihood of Middle
East supply disruptions in the wake of the United States killing a top Iranian
military commander. * GOLD: Gold prices slipped further from the previous session's near
seven-year high, as Middle East tensions cooled and investors booked profit,
while palladium touched a new high. * Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE closed 0.6% lower on Monday with financial
stocks leading the losses on concerns over tensions in the Middle East, although
oil-fuelled gains for Shell RDSa.L and BP BP.L provided some support.
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