Britain's FTSE 100 (.FTSE) index is seen opening 24 points lower at 6,166 on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures (FFIc1) down 1% ahead of cash markets open.
ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca Plc (AZN.L) and Merck & Company (LON:0QAH) (MRK.N) said their blockbuster cancer treatment Lynparza won approval in the European Union for treating patients with a form of pancreatic cancer.
FUNDING CIRCLE: Funding Circle (FCH.L) will cut around 85 jobs in its U.S. business, the British-based peer-to-peer lending platform said.
FIRSTGROUP: UK-based bus and rail operator FirstGroup (FGP.L) warned on its ability to continue as a going concern, after posting an annual operating loss.
INSURANCE: Commercial insurers are facing hefty claims from the coronavirus crisis but are also seeing a steep rise in premiums – tempting companies and industry veterans to raise capital, launch new businesses or expand into new lines.
FINANCE: British finance minister Rishi Sunak will announce a new scheme to stave off youth unemployment as he attempts to revitalise the economy.
ECONOMY: Further waves of the novel coronavirus are surely on the way and they will be one of the determinants of Britain's economic outlook, Bank of England Chief Economist Andy Haldane said.
SHELL: Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSa.L) is weighing the sale of its 211,146 barrel-per-day (bpd) Convent, Louisiana, refinery, sources familiar with plant operations said.
BOOHOO: Retailers Next Plc (NXT.L), Zalando SE (DE:ZALG) (ZALG.DE) and Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) are delisting products made by Britain's Boohoo Group Plc (BOOH.L) following a media report about dire working conditions in an English factory that supplied the popular brand. Online fashion retailer Boohoo said it was launching an independent review of its supply chain in Britain, led by a senior lawyer, following a media report about dire working conditions in one English factory.
JOBS: The collapse in Britain's labour market eased only slightly last month, according to a survey from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) industry body which warns that a "jobs crisis" is underway.
OIL: Oil prices eased in early trade as industry data showing a build in U.S. crude stockpiles and a forecast for U.S. crude output to fall less than anticipated in 2020 added to worries about oversupply.
GOLD: Gold steadied near a more than eight-year high, as worries over surging COVID-19 cases and hopes of more stimulus measures from the U.S. Federal Reserve lifted demand for the safe-haven metal.
The UK blue-chip index .FTSE fell 1.5% on Tuesday, as a surge in U.S. coronavirus cases turned investors away from riskier trades.
UK CORPORATE DIARY:
U and I Group (UAI.L) FY Earnings Releases
Liontrust Asset Management (LON:LIO) (LIO.L) FY Earnings Releases
FirstGroup (FGP.L) FY Earnings Releases
Victrex (LON:VCTX) (VCTX.L) Interim management statement
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TODAY'S UK PAPERS
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