(Adds company news, futures)
Aug 16 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening up 6 points on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures FFIc1 rising 0.19 percent ahead of the cash market open.
* BGEO GROUP: BGEO Group Plc BGEO.L , the holding company of JSC Bank of Georgia, on Wednesday reported a near-tripling in second-quarter pre-tax profit, helped by higher income in its banking and healthcare businesses. PRUDENTIAL: Britain's Prudential PRU.L sold its broker-dealer network in the United States for $325 million to LPL Financial LPLA.O, the insurer said on Wednesday. ADMIRAL: British motor and home insurer Admiral ADML.L on Wednesday posted a 1 percent rise in profit before tax in the year to June 30 as costs from an increase to the personal injury rate carried into 2017. BALFOUR BEATTY: Britain's Balfour Beatty BALF.L reported an almost 70 percent rise in half-year pretax profit on Wednesday as its British construction business swung back into the black. HOCHSCHILD MINING: Precious metals miner Hochschild Mining Plc's HOCM.L pretax profit fell 33.8 percent in the first half of the year, hurt by higher costs. LOOKERS: One of Britain's biggest car dealership chains Lookers LOOK.L said it still expected new car sales to be at a "historically high level" this year despite four consecutive months of drops. BHP: Hedge fund Elliott Management has raised its stake in BHP Billiton BHP.AX , BLT.L to 5 percent, stepping up a campaign to make the top global miner quit all or part of its petroleum business, boost returns and ditch its dual listing. BRITAIN-EU/IRELAND: There should be no border posts between Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland after Brexit, Britain said in an early attempt to resolve one of the most complex aspects of its European Union exit. GOLD: Gold prices inched up early on Wednesday after two days of losses, with investors awaiting minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve's last meeting in July for clues on the pace of potential interest rate hikes. OIL: Oil prices edged up on Wednesday on a fall in U.S. crude inventories, although markets were still being weighed down by general oversupply. LONDON-ZINC: London zinc hit its highest in almost a decade on Wednesday, as Chinese infrastructure demand that has fed a rally in steel prices for months spills into markets for steelmaking raw materials. The UK blue chip index closed 0.4 percent higher at 7,383.85 points on Tuesday, helped by a late boost from airlines, and after inflation data earlier eased investors' fears over a squeeze on consumer spending.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
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