(Adds futures, news items)
Sept 4 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 40
points lower at 5,811 on Friday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures
FFIc1 seen down 0.6% ahead of cash market open.
* BRITAIN HOUSEBUILDERS: Britain's competition regulator launched an
investigation into four of the country's biggest housebuilders, saying they may
have broken a consumer protection law in relation to leasehold homes.
* BERKELEY: British housebuilder Berkeley Group BKGH.L said trading for
the first four months of the financial year was "resilient" and reiterated its
plans to return 280 million pounds ($372 million) to shareholders. * BHP: BHP Group BHP.AX , BHPB.L said on Friday it has awarded a tender
to charter five bulk iron ore carriers powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG),
aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions on voyages to biggest customer China by
more than 30%. * JOB ADS: The number of job adverts in Britain rose at a slower pace in
late August than earlier in the month, a recruiters body said on Friday, but
there were signs that companies were looking for staff to help with a return to
their offices. * METALS: Copper prices gained on Friday as low inventories in exchange
warehouses, disrupted ore supplies and solid economic recovery in top consumer
China lent support. MET/L
* GOLD: Gold prices rose, as U.S. Treasury yields fell and a pullback in
global equities bolstered demand for the safe-haven metal ahead of the U.S.
non-farm payrolls report. GOL/
* OIL: Oil futures dropped on Friday, with prices on both sides of the
Atlantic heading for their biggest weekly declines since June, as lacklustre
demand and ample fuel supplies offset support from a weaker dollar. O/R
* The UK blue-chip index .FTSE slipped 1.6% on Thursday, after optimism
about more stimulus proved to be short-lived, while shares of Melrose jumped
after it signalled a pick-up in some markets. .L
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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TODAY'S UK PAPERS
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