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Nov 6 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 17 points
lower at 7,371 on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures
.FFIc1 down 0.3% ahead of the cash market open.
* MARKS & SPENCER: M&S MKS.L reported a 17% drop in first-half profit,
dragged down by falling clothing sales, illustrating the bumpy path of its
latest attempt at a turnaround after over a decade of false dawns.
* INTU PROPERTIES: UK mall operator INTUP.L said it expects lower rental
income for the year as more stores closed down at its shopping malls amidst a
broader weakness in the retail sector.
* ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca AZN.L said it is launching a new fund with
China International Capital Corporation to invest $1 billion in China's
healthcare sector, as it expands its research work in the country. It will also
distribute Sun Pharma cancer drugs in China. * MOTHERCARE: Mothercare MTC.L is set to close all its British stores with
the loss of at least 2,500 jobs after its domestic operations buckled under the
weight of the pressures plaguing the retail sector. * SPIRIT MAKERS: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in a phone call,
urged U.S. President Donald Trump to lift tariffs on goods including scotch
whisky, a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.
* GOLD: Gold prices edged higher on Wednesday, after falling over 1% in the
previous session, as investors took a step back from riskier assets in the
absence of concrete developments on the U.S.-China trade front. * OIL: Oil prices fell on Wednesday, pulled down by a larger-than-expected
build-up in U.S. crude stocks, after gaining for three straight sessions on
expectations of an easing of in U.S.-China trade tensions. * The UK blue-chip index advanced 0.3% on Tuesday, as gains for oil majors
and miners pushed it into the black, buoyed by hopes of a trade deal between the
United States and China. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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