Nov 15 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening 28 points lower at 7,006 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers. * VODAFONE: Vodafone may replicate elements of its British mobile towers joint venture in other markets but not necessarily to the extent of sharing radio equipment in major cities, its chief executive said on Wednesday. * GOLD: Gold prices held steady on Thursday, after rising nearly a percent in the previous session, as the dollar retreated further from a 16-month peak against a basket of currencies. * OIL: Oil prices slipped on Thursday, weighed down by rising supply going into a market in which consumption is expected to slow down amid a glum economic outlook. * EX-DIVS: Bunzl, Glaxosmithkline, Marks and Spencer , Royal Dutch Shell, J Sainsbury and Scott Mortgage Investment Trust will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 16.2 points off the FTSE 100 according to Reuters calculations. * The UK blue chip index ended 0.3 percent lower on Wednesday as mining shares and oil majors sold off amid growing anxiety that global growth was slowing, though a late rally in gambling stocks offset some of the slide. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets * UK CORPORATE DIARY: Urban Logistics Reit PLC SHED.L Half Year 2018 Earnings 3i Group PLC III.L Half Year 2019 Earnings Great Portland Estates PLC GPOR.L Half Year 2019 Earnings Spirax-Sarco Engineering PLC SPX.L Trading Statement Dart Group PLC DTG.L Half Year 2019 Earnings Tullow Oil PLC TLW.L Trading Statement Safestore Holdings PLC SAFE.L Full Year 2018 Earnings Norcros PLC NXR.L Half Year 2019 Earnings Enteq Upstream PLC NTQ.L Half Year 2019 Earnings Premier Oil PLC PMO.L Trading and Operations Update Investec PLC INVP.L Half Year 2019 Earnings Intermediate Capital Group PLC ICP.L Half Year 2018 Earnings Royal Mail PLC RMG.L Half Year 2019 Earnings Mediclinic International PLC MDCM.L Half Year 2019 Earnings Card Factory PLC CARDC.L Q3 2018 Trading Statement Bodycote PLC BOY.L Q3 2018 Trading Statement Bovis Homes Group Plc BVS.L Trading Statement Close Brothers Group Plc CBRO.L Trading Statement TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines (Reporting by Tanishaa Nadkar in Bengaluru)