(Adds company news items and futures)
May 13 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 64 points lower on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures down 0.9% ahead of cash markets open.
* BREWIN DOLPHIN: Brewin Dolphin BRW.L posted a 5.1% fall in first-half earnings on Wednesday as the coronavirus-related market sell-off towards the end of the period saw assets under management (AUM) fall by 3.6 billion pounds. SAGE GROUP: Sage Group SGE.L said it was starting to see the broader effects of a sharp economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with new customer acquisition in April roughly half the level expected, as it reported progress in its first half. STOCK SPIRITS: Stock Spirits STCK.L on Wednesday posted a 25.6% jump in first-half earnings as consumers stocked up on liquor ahead of tax hikes in its biggest markets, Poland and Czech Republic, and said the COVID-19 crisis has not affected its businesses as yet. TP ICAP (LON:NXGN): TP ICAP Plc TCAPI.L , the world's largest inter-dealer broker, saw revenue rise by almost a fifth in the first quarter, as its broking business benefited from the gyrations in financial markets caused by the coronavirus and collapsing oil prices. ASTON MARTIN: Aston Martin AML.L posted a first-quarter pretax loss of 119 million pound ($146 million) after sales dropped by nearly a third due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak and the destocking of dealers, the carmaker said on Wednesday. PREMIER OIL: Oil and gas producer Premier Oil PMO.L said on Wednesday that it expects to be free cash flow neutral this year due to weak oil prices, adding it would engage with stakeholders over extending debt maturities and raising equity. RETAIL: British retail spending plunged by nearly a fifth in April as the government's coronavirus lockdown hammered the sector, and a broader measure of consumer spending tumbled by more than a third, surveys showed. HOUSING MARKET: Buyers and renters in England will be able to move house again from Wednesday under plans set out by the government to re-start a housing market all but frozen by restrictions put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. BHP/RIO: BHP Group BHP.AX , BHPB.L will stick with its capital allocation framework despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic while Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) is eyeing M&A, the chief executives of the miners said on Tuesday. GOLD: Gold gained as concerns that a second wave of coronavirus infections may be emerging in many countries weighed on riskier assets. OIL: Oil prices fell on worries about a possible second wave of coronavirus cases in countries starting to ease lockdowns, while industry data showed a rise in U.S. crude inventories. London's FTSE 100 closed higher for the fifth straight session on Tuesday after strong earnings from Vodafone (LON:VOD) and Morrisons helped outweigh fears of a potential flare-up of COVID-19 cases as countries slowly reopen parts of their economies. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: LIVE/
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