July 18 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 25
points lower at 7,510
on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.
* BP: BP Plc BP.L plans to shut the small gasoline-producing unit at its
430,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Whiting, Indiana, refinery for a planned overhaul
by mid-August, said sources familiar with plant operations. * OIL: Oil prices steadied on Thursday after falling in the previous session
when official data showed U.S. stockpiles of products like gasoline rose sharply
last week, suggesting weak demand during the peak driving season. * GOLD: Gold prices pulled back from a two-week high to trade lower on
Thursday, as some investors took advantage of the last session's gain to book
profits. * The UK blue chip index closed 0.6% lower on Wednesday amid sharp falls in
oil majors as investors priced in an overnight slide in crude to one-week lows,
while downbeat trading updates knocked chemicals group Johnson Matthey and miner
Fresnillo. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
LIVE/
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Scientific Digital Imaging Plc SDIS.L FY earnings release
Anglo American Plc AAL.L Q2 production report
Easyjet Plc EZJ.L Q3 trading statement
SSE Plc SSE.L Q1 trading statement
Photo-Me International Plc PHTM.L Preliminary earnings release
Hochschild Mining Plc HOCM.L Q2 production results
AO World Plc AO.L Q1 trading statement
Moneysupermarket.Com Group Plc MONY.L HY earnings release
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
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