(Adds futures, news items)
Nov 15 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 37
points higher at 7,330 on Friday, according to financial bookmakers, with
futures FFIc1 up 0.4% ahead of the cash market open.
* FIRSTGROUP: Britain's competition watchdog said it could accept
undertakings offered by FirstGroup Plc FGP.L and Italy's TrenItalia as it
investigates the award of the West Coast Partnership rail franchise to the
companies. * TALKTALK: British broadband provider TalkTalk TALK.L said it was still
in discussions with interested parties regarding its FibreNation business after
Britain's opposition Labour Party said it planned to create a "British
Broadband" public service. * CARPETRIGHT: Britain's Carpetright CPRC.L said it had agreed to be taken
over by its largest shareholder Meditor, which values it at 15.2 million pounds
($19.45 million). * NSF: British lender Non-Standard Finance NSF.L warned on annual profits
and slashed its medium-term targets for loan book growth, highlighting its
struggles to make it alone after its failed bid for larger rival Provident
Financial PFG.L . * DNEG: Special effects film firm DNEG said it had postponed plans for an
initial public offering (IPO) in London due to ongoing market uncertainty.
* RIO TINTO: Rio Tinto RIO.L RIO.AX said it will subscribe to $221
million rights shares of Energy Resources of Australia Ltd (ERA) ERA.AX , which
has been desperately seeking funds to close and rehabilitate a controversial
uranium mine. * BT: Britain's opposition Labour Party said it would unveil plans on Friday
to provide free 'full-fibre' broadband across the country by creating a 'British
Broadband' public service, formed by bringing parts of telecoms provider BT
BT.L back into state ownership. * VODAFONE: Telecom Italia TLIT.MI plans to sell a stake in the mobile
mast business it is creating in Italy with rival Vodafone VOD.L to
infrastructure funds, the Italian group's chief executive said on Thursday.
* GOLD: Gold prices fell on Friday as risk appetite was whetted by comments
from White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow that the United States is nearing
an interim trade pact with China. * OIL: Oil prices rose on Friday as OPEC's outlook for oil demand next year
fuelled hopes that the producer group and its associates will keep a lid on
supply when they meet to discuss policy on output next month. * The UK blue chip index fell 0.8% on Thursday, underperforming its major
global peers and suffering its steepest intra-day drop so far this month as
falls in private equity company 3i, stocks trading ex-dividend and a stronger
pound hammered the exporter-heavy index. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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