June 9 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening down 20
points, or 0.3 percent, on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers. For more
on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on The UK blue chip index closed up 16.99 points, or 0.3 percent, at 6,285.21
points on Wednesday, with a recovery in commodities prices underpinning basic
resources and energy stocks.
* VODAFONE: Britain's Vodafone Group Plc VOD.L on Thursday announced an
effective takeover of leading New Zealand pay TV provider Sky Network Ltd
SKT.NZ in a NZ$3.4 billion ($2.42 billion) merger combining digital platforms
with entertainment content.
* GLENCORE: Glencore GLEN.L has agreed to sell a 9.99 percent stake in its
agricultural business to British Columbia Investment Management Corp for $624.9
million, as it continues a push to sell up to $5 billion worth of assets this
year to help cut debt.
* HSBC/BRAZIL: Brazil's antitrust watchdog on Wednesday approved Banco
Bradesco SA's purchase of HSBC Holdings Plc's HSBA.L local unit with some
conditions, marking the latest departure of a foreign lender from one of the
world's most concentrated banking markets.
* VODAFONE/GHANA: Britain's Vodafone VOD.L said on Wednesday that plans to
return its Ghana operations to profit-making were hampered by the West African
country's failure to fulfill its financial obligations as minority shareholder.
* PEARSON: Pearson Plc PSON.L is looking at several possible acquisitions
in Brazil amid a wave of merger talks, an executive told Reuters, as the British
education company aims to take advantage of a favorable exchange rate in a
market where it is fast expanding.
* AMAZON/UK: Amazon AMZN.O launched a British version of its AmazonFresh
food delivery service on Thursday in a long-anticipated move by the world's
largest online retailer to break into the UK grocery market.
* ECB/BREXIT: The European Central Bank is prepared to help steady financial
markets should Britons vote this month to leave the European Union, ECB
Executive Council member Benoit Coeure said in a France 24 interview.
* BRITAIN HOUSE PRICES: British house prices are set for their first fall in
nearly four years over the next few months as the European Union referendum and
a new tax on landlords turn buyers away, property valuers said on Thursday.
* EX-DIVS: Johnson Matthey JMAT.L ,Vodafone Group VOD.L , WPP Plc
WPP.L will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on
Thursday, trimming 9.78 points off the FTSE 100, according to Reuters
calculations. UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Amryt Pharma Plc AMYT.L Q3 2016 Earnings
Release
Westminster Group Plc WSG.L Full Year 2015
Earnings Release
Auto Trader Group Plc AUTOA.L Full Year 2016
Earnings Release
Volex Plc VLX.L Full Year 2016
Earnings Release
First Property Group Plc FSTP.L Full Year 2016
Earnings Release
Flybe Group Plc FLYB.L Full Year 2015
Earnings Release
Home Retail Group Plc HOME.L Q1 2017 Trading
Statement Release
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