May 23 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 27
points lower at 7,307 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.
* MERLIN: Activist investor ValueAct confirmed an earlier Financial Times
report which stated that it urged Merlin Entertainments MERL.L , the owner of
Madame Tussauds, the London Eye, Alton Towers, to go private. * ACACIA: Barrick Gold Corp's ABX.TO proposal to take full control of its
Acacia Mining Plc ACAA.L unit to resolve a long-standing tax dispute with
Tanzania has drawn the ire of Acacia's minority shareholders, who may have the
ultimate vote on a deal. * LLOYD'S OF LONDON: Lloyd's of London SOLYD.UL is proposing merging two
of its governance bodies, the council and the board which together oversee the
insurance market, to reduce overlap, a source familiar with the matter said.
* ARCADIA: British retail tycoon Philip Green's Arcadia Group said on
Wednesday it planned to close 23 of its 566 stores in the UK and Ireland in a
major restructuring of the fashion business that could also see its
Topshop/Topman stores close in the U.S.
* EX-DIVS: Bunzl BNZL.L , Carnival CCL.L , DCC DCC.L , Imperial Brands
IMB.L and Morrison MRW.L will trade without entitlement to their latest
dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 3.02 points off the FTSE 100 according to
Reuters calculations.
* The UK blue chip index closed 0.1% higher on Wednesday. Brexit sensitive
housebuilders and airlines slid as rumours circulated that ministers could oust
Theresa May after her latest EU exit plan failed to win support, while exporters
lifted the FTSE 100 as the pound weakened. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Mediclinic MDCM.L FY Results
United Utilities UU.L FY Results
Intertek ITRK.L Trading Update
Tate & Lyle TATE.L FY Results
Mitchells & Butlers MAB.L HY Results
Great Portland GPOR.L FY Results
Dairy Crest DCG.L FY Results
Essentra ESNT.L Trading Update
Mothercare MTC.L FY Results
TalkTalk TALK.L Prelim. FY results
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
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