Jan 16 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening down 12
points at 7,631 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.
* LEKOIL: A consultancy firm that allegedly arranged a fraudulent $184
million loan announced by Nigerian oil company Lekoil Ltd said on
Wednesday that it welcomed an investigation into the matter.
* GOLD: Gold prices held steady after the United States and China signed a
preliminary trade deal, as investors worried that a number of sore issues
remained unresolved between the world's two top economies.
* OIL: Oil prices rose after the signing of the trade deal that sets the
stage for a surge in Chinese purchases of American energy products, while U.S.
crude inventories fell more than expected.
* METAL: Copper prices fell on investor doubts that the U.S.-China deal
would improve metals demand.
* EX-DIVS: Ashtead Group, Compass Group and SSE Plc
will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on Thursday,
trimming 2.8 points off the FTSE 100 according to Reuters calculations [ID:
nL8N29I1MR]
* London's main share index rose slightly on Wednesday, hours before the
sealing of the U.S.-China trade deal, though sentiment was tempered when
Washington said tariffs on Chinese goods would not be rolled back immediately.
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Whitbread WTB.L Trading Update
Hays HAYS.L Q2 Trading Update
Genel Energy GENL.L Trading & Operations Update
Wood Group WG.L Trading Update
N Brown BWNG.L Q3 Trading Update
Dechra Pharmaceuticals DPH.L Trading Update
Associated British Foods ABF.L Q1 Trading Update
Halfords HFD.L Q3 Trading Update
Rio Tinto RIO.L Q4 Operations Review
Workspace Group WKP.L Q3 Statement
Pearson Plc PSON.L Q4 Trading Statement
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times
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(Reporting by Rishika Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.