(Adds company news items and futures)
Nov 1 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 23 points lower at 7,106 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers, with FTSE 100 futures .FFIc1 down 0.72 percent ahead of the cash market open.
* BT: British broadband company BT BT.L reported a 2 percent rise in first-half earnings on Thursday and nudged its guidance for the full year higher, as outgoing chief executive Gavin Patterson said the group's recovery plan was delivering. SMITH & NEPHEW: British medical products maker Smith & Nephew SN.L said it was on track to meet full-year guidance after growing quarterly revenues by 3 percent, on strong demand for its artificial hips and knees in the United States and emerging markets. JUST EAT: Britain's Just Eat JE.L said it expected full-year core earnings to come in towards the lower end of its forecasts, despite rising sales, as investments in Latin America and across the business weigh. CARPETRIGHT: Struggling British floor coverings retailer Carpetright CPRC.L said underlying sales fell in its first half, hurt by disruption from a major restructuring programme to close 67 underperforming stores. LANCASHIRE: Property and casualty insurer Lancashire Holdings Ltd LRE.L reported a smaller quarterly loss on lower catastrophe claims than last year when it bore the brunt of many hurricanes and the Mexican earthquakes. RANK GROUP: Casino and gaming operator Rank Group RNK.L appointed Experian Plc's EXPN.L Bill Floydd as its chief financial officer on Thursday. ADMIRAL-GOCOMPARE: The former boss of Admiral ADML.L is to join the board of U.S. comparison website Compare.com as part of a deal that sees his wife inject $25 million into the company, the car insurer said on Thursday. BHP: Top global miner BHP BHP.AX BLT.L on Thursday said it would buy back shares and pay a special dividend to return $10.4 billion to shareholders, sticking to a promise to hand back all of the proceeds from the sale of its U.S. shale business. PATISSERIE VALERIE: David Scott, who used to run Druckers Vienna Patisserie , said on Wednesday he had no intention to make an offer or buy shares in Patisserie Valerie CAKEP.L , the British cafe chain hit by an accounting scandal. SPORTS DIRECT: Sports Direct International Plc SPD.L , the sportswear group controlled by billionaire Mike Ashley, said on Wednesday it had paid 8 million pounds ($10.2 million) to buy Evans Cycles after it fell into administration. EASYJET: Budget airline EasyJet EZJ.L said on Wednesday that it had submitted a revised expression of interest for a restructured Alitalia, in response to the new Italian government's ongoing sales process. GOLD: Gold recovered on Thursday from a three-week low hit in the previous session as the recent fall in the metal prices and an easing dollar from multi-month highs induced some bids. OIL: Oil prices fell on Thursday, extending losses in previous sessions, amid signs of rising supply and growing concerns that demand might weaken on the prospect of a global economic slowdown. EX-DIVS: Unilever ULVR.L will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 1.46 points off the FTSE 100 according to Reuters calculations. The UK blue chip .FTSE index closed up 1.3 percent on Wednesday as upbeat results from Standard Chartered STAN.L provided some respite from a grim October that put the market on track for its worst month since August 2015.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times
PRESS/FT
> Other business headlines
PRESS/GB