Feb 4 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening flat at 6,508 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.
* JD SPORTS: JD Sports JD.L said it will sell about 6% of its shares to raise funds as Britain's largest sportswear retailer looks to expand and make further acquisitions. ROYAL MAIL: Royal Mail RMG.L said 91.5% of the eligible members of its largest union had voted in favour of a framework agreement over pay and operational changes. WHITBREAD: Whitbread WTB.L has struck an agreement with its creditors to extend the maturity of its revolving credit facility by one year to September 2023, the company said in a statement. RIO TINTO: Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) chairman Simon Thompson RIO.AX is set to face further pressure over the board's handling of the destruction of sacred rock shelters in Australia after an Indigenous group accused him of breaking a personal promise, analysts said. TRADE: Around 40% of British companies that import and export said the shift to a new trading arrangement with the European Union had made trade more cumbersome last month, a survey showed. GOLD: Gold and silver prices fell as a firmer dollar dented their appeal, while investors look forward to the passage of a massive stimulus package in the United States. OIL: Oil prices extended gains after the OPEC+ alliance of major producers stuck to a reduced output policy. The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 0.1% lower on Wednesday as falls in healthcare stocks offset gains elsewhere driven by investors' hopes that mass vaccinations would accelerate an economic revival. UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Royal Dutch Shell Plc
Q4 results Barratt Developments Plc
HY results Renishaw Plc
HY results Compass Group Plc
Trading Statement Severn Trent Plc
Trading Statement Cranswick Plc
Trading Statement BT Plc
Q3 results NCC Group Plc
HY results Unilever Plc
FY results
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