(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
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* For Top News : topnews.reuters.com
(Reporting by Karina Dsouza in Bengaluru)
