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Sept 16 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 30
points lower at 7,338 on Monday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures
FFIc1 down 0.3% ahead of cash market open.
* ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca Plc AZN.L said on Monday the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) had granted fast track designation for the development of
its diabetes drug Farxiga to reduce the risk of deadly heart attacks in some
patients. * DIRECT LINE: Direct Line DLGD.L appointed on Monday former Royal London
executive Tim Harris as its chief financial officer, as Britain's largest motor
insurer faces a market that has been bogged down by stiff competition and
regulatory changes.
* PETRA DIAMONDS: Petra Diamonds PDL.L reported a 22% fall in annual
profit on Monday as the precious metals miner grappled with a weak diamond
market, and the company also said its non-executive chairman plans to step down.
* EDDIE STOBART: Logistics firm Eddie Stobart Plc ESLE.L said on Monday it
was considering the potential for raising new equity and that it would not
declare any dividend for fiscal 2019. * MAN GROUP: British hedge fund Man Group EMG.L said on Monday that the
former Deutsche Bank chief executive John Cryan has been appointed chairman and
will start his new role in January 2020, replacing Ian Livingston.
* SPIRE HEALTHCARE: Britain's Spire Healthcare Group Plc SPI.L reported on
Monday a first-half profit compared with a loss last year, helped by
cost-cutting measures and better-than-expected revenue from the National Health
Service (NHS) referrals.
* SAUDI ARAMCO: Attacks on two plants at the heart of Saudi Arabia's oil
industry will cut the kingdom's output by 5.7 million barrels per day (bpd),
according to a statement from state-run oil company Saudi Aramco, or more than
5% of global oil supply. * COBHAM: U.S. private equity firm Advent International is set to clinch its
4 billion pound ($4.99 billion) takeover of defence and aerospace group Cobham
Plc COB.L after Advent received support from more than 75% of shareholders,
the Financial Times reported on Friday. * FIRSTGROUP: Britain's FirstGroup FGP.L is pursuing potential options for
the separation of its UK First Bus business, a company spokesman said on Sunday.
* CENTRICA: A consortium of infrastructure funds led by Dalmore is in
advanced talks to buy a stake in Britain's nuclear power stations from EDF
Energy EDF.PA and Centrica Plc CNA.L for about 1.2 billion pounds ($1.50
billion), Sky News reported on Saturday. * OIL: Oil prices surged on Monday, with Brent crude posting its biggest
intra-day percentage gain since the start of the Gulf War in 1991, after an
attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities on Saturday shut in the equivalent of 5%
of global supply. * GOLD: Gold prices jumped 1% on Monday as an attack on Saudi Arabia's oil
facilities dented risk appetite, boosting demand for the safe-haven bullion,
while investors awaited for clues on monetary easing from major central bank
meetings due this week.
* The UK blue chip index closed up 0.3% on Friday as optimism that a no-deal
Brexit could be avoided spurred a rally in stocks with domestic exposure,
overpowering losses in blue-chip exporter stocks that were hit by a stronger
sterling. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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($1 = 0.8021 pounds)