June 29 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening 40
points higher at 7,656 on Friday, according to financial bookmakers.
* BAE SYSTEMS: Britain's BAE Systems PLC has won a A$35 billion
($25.7 billion) contest to deliver anti-submarine warfare frigates for the
Australian navy, the Australian government said on Thursday.
* BHP BILLITON: Global miner BHP said on Friday it had agreed to
fund a total of $211 million in financial support for the Renova Foundation,
created to help victims of the Samarco dam disaster in Brazil.
* SKY-DISNEY: Britain's takeover regulator is considering whether Walt
Disney might have to make a higher offer for Sky in the wake of
the U.S. company's move to hike its bid for Twenty-First Century Fox assets to
$71.3 billion.
* TESCO: Britain's biggest retailer Tesco is trialing a
checkout-free method of payment for its convenience stores, allowing customers
to scan products on their mobile devices and then walk out with them, it said on
Thursday.
* GLENCORE: Chad and Glencore have signed a final agreement to
restructure an oil-backed loan of more than $1 billion, the government of the
West African country said in a statement on Thursday.
* BRITAIN BANKS: Small businesses that are victims of fraud, conspiracy and
misconduct by British banks could soon be able to sue their lenders in a
tribunal dedicated to helping them bring banks to justice without fear of
financial ruin.
* GOLD: Gold prices edged up early Friday after slipping to a more than
six-month low in the previous session, as the dollar softened from recent highs,
but the yellow metal was headed for its worst monthly performance since November
2016.
* OIL: Oil prices dipped on Friday amid escalating trade friction between
the United States and other major economies, although crude markets remain tight
due to supply disruptions and generally high demand.
* The UK blue chip FTSE 100 index closed down 0.1 percent at
7,615.63 points on Thursday, on renewed concerns over global trade but a strong
performance of defensive stocks and a weaker pound helped limit its
losses.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Serco Group Pre-Close Trading Statement Release
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(Reporting by Siju Varghese)