(Adds company news items and futures) Jan 3 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening 26 points lower at 6,708 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers, with FTSE 100 futures down 0.40 percent ahead of the cash market open. * VECTURA GROUP: British drugmaker Vectura Group Plc on Thursday predicted that its adjusted earnings in 2018 would top market expectations, helped in part by improving profit margins. * NEXT: British clothing retailer Next Plc reported a rise in sales in the run-up to Christmas in line with its own expectations, confounding fears of poor festive trading. * ACACIA MINING: The new Barrick Gold Corp is considering options for its stake in Acacia Mining PLC including possible sale, as Barrick works to end a nearly two-year-long tax dispute in Tanzania that has effectively shuttered operations there. * EX-DIVS: Auto Trader Group Plc, British Land Company Plc , Experian Plc will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 0.7 points off the FTSE 100 according to Reuters calculations. * GOLD: Gold prices inched up on Thursday as a dip in Asian equities and worries about a sharp global economic slowdown propelled demand for safer investments. * OIL: Oil prices fell on Thursday amid volatile currency and stock markets, and as analysts warned of an economic slowdown for 2019 just as crude supply is rising globally. * The UK blue chip index closed 0.1 percent higher at 6734.23 on Wednesday, helped by investor appetite for stocks deemed less risky and also by a comeback for oil majors despite weak data from China. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets * UK CORPORATE DIARY: Next Plc NXT.L Trading statement Staffline Group Plc STAF.L Trading statement TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * For Top News : topnews.reuters.com (Reporting by Karina Dsouza in Bengaluru)