(Adds company news, futures)
March 7 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen
opening down 18 points on Wednesday, according to financial
bookmakers, with futures down 0.5 percent ahead of the
cash market open.
* LOOKERS: British car dealer Lookers Plc reported
a 2.7 percent rise in 2017 profit, with growth seen across all
its businesses particularly its used car segment.
* RESTAURANT GROUP: Restaurant Group Plc, the owner
of Frankie & Benny's chain, on Wednesday reported a 26.4 percent
fall in 2017 pretax profit as Britons spent less on eating and
drinking out.
* PAGEGROUP: British recruitment firm PageGroup Plc
on Wednesday reported a 9.8 percent rise in full-year gross
profit, as its overseas business offset home market weakness.
* RANK: British casino operator Rank Group Plc said
its chief executive, Henry Birch, had resigned to take over the
top job at online retailer Shop Direct.
* ROLLS-ROYCE: British engine-maker Rolls-Royce
guided that 2018 results would be impacted by costs related to
carrying out repairs on some aero-engines, but it remained on
track to meet its financial goals for 2020.
* ESURE: British insurer esure Group Plc reported
on Wednesday a 35.6 percent rise in full-year pretax profit,
driven by an increase in demand for its motor insurance
products.
* LEGAL & GENERAL: British insurer Legal & General
reported an above-forecast 32 percent rise in 2017 operating
profit of 2.1 billion pounds ($2.92 billion), it said on
Wednesday, helped by reserve releases related to changing
longevity expectations.
* IAG: The chief executive of British Airways-owner IAG
is confident a deal will be done to secure Britain's
flying rights after Brexit, he said on Tuesday, dismissing a
recent media report and a rival airline's prediction of
disruption.
* MELROSE-GKN: Melrose Industries will consider
making binding commitments about the future of GKN if it
succeeds in its bid to take over the British engineering firm,
the chief executive of the turnaround specialist told lawmakers.
* WPP: As Procter & Gamble Co looks to invest more in
internal analytics programmes, the move could pressure ad giants
WPP Plc and Publicis Groupe SA, The Telegraph
reported on Tuesday. bit.ly/2Ftd4KZ
* RBS: Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc has reached
a $500 million settlement with New York state to resolve charges
it misled investors by selling risky mortgage securities that
contributed to the 2008 global financial crisis.
* SAINSBURY: Sainsbury's, Britain's second largest
supermarket group, plans to increase the base rate of pay for
staff working in stores but stop paid breaks and an annual
bonus, in a move it said would leave most staff better off.
* OIL: Oil prices fell on Wednesday, pulled down by weaker
stock markets after a key advocate for free trade in the U.S.
government resigned, stoking concerns Washington will go ahead
with import tariffs and risk a trade war.
* GOLD: Gold prices inched up on Wednesday to their highest
in a week as the dollar weakened and equities dropped after U.S.
President Donald Trump said he would push ahead with punitive
tariffs on imports, rekindling fears of a potential trade war.
* The UK blue chip index closed 0.4 percent higher on
Tuesday, outperforming European markets, as world stocks
shrugged off fears of a trade war and concerns about political
risk in Italy following its inconclusive general election.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please
click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Tritax Big Box REIT PLC Full Year 2017 Earnings
Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC Full Year 2017 Earnings
Restaurant Group PLC Full Year 2017 Earnings
ST Ives PLC Half Year 2018 Earnings
Bioquell PLC Full Year 2017 Earnings
Hill & Smith Holdings PLC Full Year 2017 Earnings
Ophir Energy PLC Full Year 2017 Earnings
Legal & General Group PLC Full Year 2017 Earnings
CLS Holdings PLC Full Year 2017 Earnings
Pagegroup PLC Full Year 2017 Earnings
DS Smith PLC Trading Statement
esure Group PLC Full Year 2017 Earnings
Stock Spirits Group PLC Full Year 2017 Earnings
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times
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(Reporting by Justin George Varghese; Editing by Amrutha
Gayathri)