Nov 28 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is expected to open 23 points lower at 7,407 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers. * HSBC: HSBC aims to shift $20 billion worth of assets to a new blockchain-based custody platform by March, in one of the biggest deployments yet of the widely-hyped but still unproven technology by a global bank. * BREXIT: Britain's Dec. 12 election could well result in another parliament where no party commands a majority, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's top advisor Dominic Cummings said on Wednesday. * BREXIT: Prime Minister Boris Johnson's lead over the opposition Labour Party has fallen to seven points ahead of the Dec. 12 election, according to a Savanta ComRes poll for the Daily Telegraph newspaper on Wednesday. * UK AUTOMOTIVE OUTPUT: British automotive output dropped by an annual 4% in October, the 16th month out of the last 17 to record a fall, as demand from both domestic and overseas buyers decreased, according to a trade body. * UK BUSINESS SERVICES: Profits at British professional and business services firms dropped by the most since 2011 for a second quarter running and businesses are cutting back on investment, the Confederation of British Industry said. * OIL: Oil prices fell, extending losses from the previous session after official data showed U.S. crude and gasoline stocks rose against expectations and production hit a record. * GOLD: Gold rose as investors bought the safe-haven metal amid new doubts about whether the United States and China will sign a trade deal after President Donald Trump signed legislation supporting protesters in Hong Kong, irking Beijing. * EX-DIVS: International Consolidated Airlines , JD Sports Fashion , Johnson Matthey, Land Securities , National Grid , Severn Trent and Vodafone Group will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 8 points off the FTSE 100 according to Reuters calculations * The UK blue-chip index hit a near four-month high on Wednesday as recent risk-on sentiment was bolstered after U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington and Beijing were close to a "phase one" trade deal, while an impressive forecast lifted BAT shares. * UK CORPORATE DIARY: Sabien Technology Group SNT.L FY 2019 Earnings Release Jangada Mines PLC JANJ.L FY 2019 Earnings Release Go-Ahead Group PLC GOG.L Trading Statement Release Impax Asset Management IPX.L FY 2019 Earnings Release PayPoint plc PAYP.L HY 2019 Earnings Release XPS Pensions Group XPS.L HY 2019 Earnings Release Virgin Money UK VMUK.L FY 2019 Earnings Release TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines (Reporting by Shanima A in Bengaluru)