(Adds futures and company news items)
June 17 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 23
points higher at 7,369 on Monday, according to financial bookmakers, with
futures FFIc1 up 0.18% ahead of the cash market open.
* BABCOCK, SERCO: British engineering services group Babcock International
Group Plc BAB.L on Monday confirmed that it had rejected an offer made by
rival Serco Group SRP.L back in January to combine the two companies in a deal
which would have created a company worth 4 billion pounds ($5.04 billion).
* KIER GROUP: Kier Group Plc said on Monday it would cut about 1,200 jobs
and suspend its dividend for the next two years, as part of a review to lower
debt and simplify its structure. * AIRTEL AFRICA: Airtel Africa Ltd IPO-AIRTA.L , a unit of India's Bharti
Airtel Ltd BRTI.NS , on Monday set a price range of 80 to 100 pence per share
for its planned initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange.
* HARGREAVES LANSDOWN: Hargreaves Lansdown HRGV.L Chief Executive Officer
Chris Hill is waiving a bonus of as much as 2.1 million pounds ($2.65 million)
over the firm's links with Neil Woodford's suspended fund, the Financial Times
reported on Sunday. * RBS: Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) said on Sunday the completion of a
merger between Alawwal bank 1040.SE and Saudi British Bank 1060.SE would
lead to RBS shedding 4.7 billion pounds ($5.9 billion) of risk weighted assets
and boost its core capital. * GOALS SOCCER CENTRES: British five-a-side football pitch operator Goals
Soccer Centres GOAL.L is preparing to launch a sale process within months, Sky
News reported on Saturday. * RYANAIR: Belgium's labour laws can apply to Ryanair RYA.I employees
based in the country, a local court ruled on Friday, in a case that could set a
precedent elsewhere in Europe and upholds a 2018 agreement reached between the
airline and Belgian unions. * OIL: Oil prices rose on Monday after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
said Washington will take all actions necessary to guarantee safe navigation in
the Middle East, as tensions mounted following attacks on tankers last week.
* GOLD: Gold prices steadied on Monday after retreating from a 14-month peak
in the previous session, as the dollar strengthened on back of strong U.S.
retail sales report, while investors await U.S. Federal Reserve meeting this
week. * The UK blue chip index slipped by 0.3% on Friday as Asia-focused banks
took a hit from underwhelming Chinese industrial growth data, while Kier shed
more than a third of its value after it was reported to be planning to sell its
housebuilding unit at a discount. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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