Aug 13 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening 47 points lower at 6,233 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures (FFIc1) down 0.9% ahead of cash markets open.
NATIONAL EXPRESS: Bus company National Express (NEX.L) reported a pre-tax loss for the first half and said travel activity remained at "much suppressed levels".
JUST GROUP: Insurer Just Group (JUSTJ.L) posted higher first-half earnings as strong in-force profit cushioned a slump in new business profit.
TUI: TUI (TUIT.L), the world's largest tourism company, sunk to a 1.1 billion euro loss in its third quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic stopped holidays.
TOPPS TILES: Tile retailer Topps Tiles (TPT.L) said trading had been strong in recent weeks and forecast "modest" pretax profit for its 2019-20 year.
GVC: Ladbrokes owner GVC said it would not pay an interim dividend after it reported lower core profit for the first half of 2020.
ASTRAZENECA: Argentina and Mexico will produce the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for most of Latin America, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said on Wednesday.
AIRLINES: Southwest Airlines Co, Ryanair Holdings Plc and easyJet Plc are the only three airlines whose bonds are still rated investment grade, S&P Global Ratings said.
OIL: Crude oil prices eased slightly but held most of their gains from the previous session after U.S. government data showed a fall in inventories.
GOLD: Gold climbed 1% on a softer dollar, consolidating further above the key $1,900 level, with an ultra-low interest rate environment and worries over global economic fallout from mounting COVID-19 cases.
EX-DIVS: Ashtead Group, Aviva, Astrazeneca, BP, Diageo, Glaxosmithkline, Legal&General, Phoenix Group, Pearson, Royal Dutch Shell, Segro and Smurfit Kappa will trade without entitlement to its latest dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 22.4 points off the FTSE 100, according to Reuters calculations.
The UK blue-chip index (.FTSE) jumped 2% on Wednesday as investors focused on signs of a recovery in economic output in June, shrugging off a record 20.4% plunge in the second quarter, the largest contraction reported by any major economy.
UK CORPORATE DIARY:
National Express Group (LON:NEX) HY Earnings Releases
Renishaw (RSW.L) FY Earnings Releases
Coats Group (COA.L) HY Earnings Releases
Just Group (JUSTJ.L) HY Earnings Releases
GVC Holdings (GVC.L) Interim Results