(Adds futures, news items)
Dec 3 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen
opening 14 points lower at 6,449 on Thursday, according to
financial bookmakers, with futures down 0.25% ahead of the cash
market open.
* SAINSBURY'S: Sainsbury 's SBRY.L has followed market
leader Tesco TSCO.L and Morrisons MRW.L in deciding to forgo
business rates relief on its stores during the COVID-19
pandemic. * PHOENIX: Phoenix Group PHNX.L reported a full-year cash
generation of 1.7 billion pounds ($2.28 billion), exceeding the
top end of its target range and more than doubling from last
year. * COUNTRYSIDE: Countryside Properties Plc CSPC.L said its
Chairman David Howell would step down from the board in 2021, a
day after its third-largest investor called for his ouster as
part of efforts to break up the company. * PARAGON BANKING: Paragon Banking Group PAGPA.L posted a
27% drop in underlying earnings for the year, as it recorded
48.3 million pounds in credit loss charges due to an economic
downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. * STANDARD LIFE ABERDEEN: Standard Life Aberdeen SLA.L
said it has sold a 2.8% stake in insurance subsidiary HDFC Life
Insurance Company for 172 million pounds ($230.53
million). * GOLD: Gold rose to more than one-week high as the dollar
fell to multi-year lows on hopes of coronavirus vaccine
roll-outs soon, while investors kept track of developments on a
U.S. stimulus deal. * OIL: Oil prices fell as producers including Saudi Arabia
and Russia locked horns over the need to extend record
production cuts set in place in the first wave of the COVID-19
pandemic. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 1.2% higher on
Wednesday as the sterling weakened on doubts of whether a trade
deal could be reached by Britain and the European Union, while
the UK's approval of a COVID-19 vaccine also supported
sentiment.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please
click on: LIVE/
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