Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 1 point higher at 6,881 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.
* SAINSBURY: Sainsbury's SBRY.L and Asda, the British supermarket groups that want to combine their businesses, will challenge a refusal by the regulator probing their 7.3 billion pound deal to give them longer to respond to the latest evidence. VODAFONE: Australia's competition regulator on Thursday expressed preliminary competition concerns about the proposed merger between TPG Telecom Ltd TPM.AX and Vodafone Group's VOD.L Australian business. GOLD: Gold prices slipped on Thursday as the dollar steadied and equities climbed on signs of easing trade tensions between the United States and China, while palladium rose to a record high, trading at a premium to the bullion. OIL: Oil prices rose on Thursday, buoyed by a drawdown in U.S. crude inventories and signs that China is taking more concrete steps to put a trade war truce with Washington into action. EX-DIVS: Associated British Foods Plc ABF.L and 3I Group III.L will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 1 point off the FTSE 100 according to Reuters calculations The UK blue chip index closed 1.1 percent higher at 6,880.19 on Wednesday, as investors welcomed conciliatory talk from U.S. President Trump on trade and became more convinced Prime Minister Theresa May would see off a leadership challenge and win a no-confidence vote. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
* UK CORPORATE DIARY: Purplebricks Group Plc
PURP.L Half-Year results Rhythmone Plc
RTHM.L Half-Year results Sports Direct (LON:SPD) International Plc
SPD.L
Half-Year results Tungsten Corp Plc
TUNG.L Half-Year results Associated British Foods Plc
ABF.L
Trading statement Ocado (LON:OCDO) Group Plc
OCDO.L Trading statement Bunzl (LON:BNZL) Plc
BNZL.L Trading statement PZ Cussons Plc
PZC.L
Trading statement Serco Group (LON:SRP) Plc
SRP.L
Trading statement
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