(Adds futures, news items)
Sept 18 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen
opening 3 points higher at 6,053 on Friday, according to
financial bookmakers, but futures FFIc1 are down 0.2% ahead of
cash market open.
* LSE: London Stock Exchange LSE.L said it had begun
exclusive talks with Euronext ENX.PA on a sale of Borsa
Italiana after reviewing a group of competing bids for the Milan
stock exchange. * EASYJET: British low cost airline easyJet EZJ.L named
TUI (LON:TUIT) Group's TUIGn.DE Kenton Jarvis as its chief financial
officer, replacing Andrew Findlay. * JOHN LAING: Infrastructure investor John Laing Group
JLG.L said it would sell its 30% interest in the InterCity
Express Programme Phase 2 to infrastructure investment platform
AIP Management P/S for 421 million pounds ($545.9 million).
* MAN GROUP: British hedge fund manager Man Group EMG.L
said it will start a share buyback programme of up to $100
million, with around 66 million shares to be aquired.
* PREMIER OIL: Premier Oil PMO.L has received indicative,
non-binding support in excess of a targeted $325 million for a
capital increase linked to a debt restructuring, a source with
knowledge of the matter said. * GOLD: Gold prices rose as gloomy U.S. jobs data cast a
shadow over the economic outlook, and major central banks
pledged to roll out further stimulus if required to revive their
coronavirus-battered economies. * OIL: Oil prices drifted lower, pausing after three days of
gains, as producers prepared to resume operations in the Gulf of
Mexico and data showed Saudi Arabian exports rose from record
lows. O/R
* The UK blue-chip index .FTSE ended 0.5% lower on
Thursday weighed down by major banks and investment stocks, but
came off intraday lows after the pound fell on the Bank of
England flagging a possible shift to negative rates. .L
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please
click on: LIVE/
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