July 2 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 24
points higher at 7,521 on Tuesday, according to financial bookmakers.
* VODAFONE: A group of banks is set to lend Telecom Italia unit INWIT
INWT.MI up to 2.5 billion euros ($2.8 billion) to help it merge its towers
with those of Vodafone VOD.L , two sources said. * BARCLAYS: A French former trader with Barclays BARC.L who was convicted
in absentia in London last year of participating in a scheme to rig global
interest rates has challenged Britain in the European Court of Human Rights
(ECHR). * WPP: WPP WPP.L has entered exclusive talks with private equity firm Bain
Capital over the sale of a majority stake in its data analytics unit Kantar, the
world's biggest advertising company said on Monday. * SHELL: Royal Dutch Shell Plc RDSa.L shut the coker at its 225,300 barrel
per day (bpd) Norco, Louisiana, refinery on Monday for a planned overhaul,
sources familiar with plant operations said. * WOODFORD: British fund manager Neil Woodford will keep his flagship 3.7
billion pound ($4.7 billion) fund frozen for a second month running, leaving
hundreds of thousands of small savers without access to their money.
* GOLD: Gold prices edged higher on Tuesday after a steep fall in the
previous session, as investors fretted about an economic slowdown amid weak
global manufacturing data and U.S.-European trade ructions. * OIL: Oil prices drifted lower on Tuesday, as weak global data raised
concerns about future demand for the commodity despite a positive boost from
OPEC's decision to extend supply cuts until next March. * The UK blue chip index closed 1% higher on Monday, as a thaw in the
U.S.-China trade dispute lifted market sentiment and spurred a rally in global
stocks. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
St. Modwen Properties Plc SMP.L HY Earnings release
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($1 = 0.7915 pounds)