(Adds company news items and futures.)
Oct 25 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening up 1
point at 7,329 on Friday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures
FFIc1 down 0.01% ahead of cash market open.
* WPP: WPP WPP.L reported a return to quarterly organic sales growth for
the first time in over a year, showing the world's biggest advertising company
had avoided the problems ensnaring French rival Publicis PUBP.PA . * HASTINGS: Insurer Hastings Group Holdings Plc HSTG.L reported a 2% rise
in gross written premiums for the first nine months of 2019, as it signed more
policies. * GLENCORE: Glencore GLEN.L reported a 21% rise in year-to-date cobalt
production, helped by a ramp-up at its Katanga mine in the Democratic Republic
of Congo, while copper output dropped 4% as it prepared to shutter its Mutanda
operation in the country. * BARCLAYS: Britain's Barclays BARC.L said a worsening global economic
outlook means it may be hard to meet its profit targets, despite reporting
better than expected results at its under-pressure investment bank in the third
quarter. * Polymer maker Synthomer Plc SYNTS.L said its annual underlying pretax
profit would come in below market expectations if weakness in macroeconomic
conditions continues through the fourth-quarter. * OIL: Oil prices declined after three straight days of gains, as gloomy
economic growth forecasts renewed concerns over the outlook for demand. O/R
* GOLD: Gold rose to a two-week high as weak U.S. economic data spurred
expectations for another interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve later this
month. * The UK blue chip index closed 0.9% higher on Thursday on strong French
manufacturing data, while a sharp rise for AstraZeneca after a 2019 forecast
upgrade and a slide in sterling amid Brexit woes also lent support. * 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
Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for:
* 3000 Xtra : visit http://topnews.session.rservices.com
* BridgeStation: view story .134
For more information on Top News visit
http://topnews.reuters.com