Sept 19 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 14
points lower at 7,300
on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.
* BP: BP Plc BP.L began a planned overhaul on Wednesday of the small
gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) at its 430,000
barrel-per-day (bpd) Whiting, Indiana, refinery, said sources familiar with
plant operations. * GSK: An independent expert panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
on Wednesday recommended approval of GlaxoSmithKline Plc's GSK.L
over-the-counter nicotine oral spray that aims to help smokers quit their
addiction. * COCA-COLA HBC: Coca-Cola HBC CCH.L , which bottles Coca-Cola KO.N
products in Europe, has agreed to buy Italian mineral water maker and sparkling
beverage company Lurisia in a deal worth 88 million euros ($97 million), it said
on Wednesday. * THOMAS COOK: A panel of bankers will rule on Thursday whether some
investors in Thomas Cook's TCG.L credit are due a payout under bankruptcy
rules, a decision that could smooth a rescue of the world's oldest travel
company. * CHARLES TAYLOR: British insurance services firm Charles Taylor Plc CTR.L
said on Thursday it agreed to a 261 million pounds($325.15 million)takeover by a
firm backed by private equity firm Lovell Minnick Partners. * OIL: Oil prices edged higher in early Asian trade on Thursday after days
of turbulence, with markets soothed by Saudi Arabia's pledge to restore full
production by end-September at facilities knocked out in drone and missile
attacks last weekend. * GOLD: Gold prices were little changed on Thursday after declining up to 1%
in the previous session as lack of clarity on the U.S. Federal Reserve's future
monetary policy easing kept markets cautious. * EX-DIVS: No FTSE 100 .FTSE companies will go ex-dividend. * The UK blue chip index ended 0.1% lower on Wednesday, underperforming its
European peers ahead of a U.S. Federal Reserve rate decision, with home
improvement retailer Kingfisher falling the most on the bourse as it struggled
to lift its earnings. UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Cambridge Cognition COGC.L Half Year Cambridge Cognition Earnings
Safestyle UK PLC SFES.L Half Year Safestyle UK PLC Earnings
Xeros Technology Group PLC XSG.L Half Year Xeros Technology Earnings
Allied Minds PLC ALML.L Half Year Allied Minds PLC Earnings
Wilmington PLC WIL.L Full Year Wilmington PLC Earnings
Clinigen Group PLC CLINC.L Full Year Clinigen Group PLC Earnings
Kier Group PLC KIE.L Full Year Kier Group PLC Earnings
Next PLC NXT.L Half Year Next PLC Earnings
IG Group Holdings PLC IGG.L Q1 IG Group Holdings Trading Statement
Saga PLC SAGAG.L Half Year Saga PLC Earnings
* 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