April 8 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen
opening 23 points higher at 6,909 points on Thursday, according
to financial bookmakers.
* ASTRAZENECA: European Union health ministers failed on
Wednesday to agree a common guidance on the use of the
AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) AZN.L COVID-19 vaccine, despite calls for
coordination across member states to combat public hesitancy
over taking the shot. * ASTRAZENECA: Mexican and Brazilian health regulators said
on Wednesday they would not limit the use of AstraZeneca's
AZN.L COVID-19 shot after Britain's vaccine advisory committee
recommended not using it for people under 30, citing rare blood
clot risks. * ASTRAZENECA: Spain will only give AstraZeneca's
coronavirus vaccine to people over 60 years old after European
and British regulators found a potential link between the shot
and rare brain blood clots. *OIL: Oil prices fell after official figures showed a big
increase in U.S. gasoline stocks, causing concerns about demand
for crude weakening in the world's biggest consumer of the
resource at a time when supplies around the world are rising.
* HIRING: British companies sharply stepped up hiring and
offered higher pay to new staff last month as they grew more
confident about economic recovery and prepared for COVID-19
restrictions to ease, a recruiters body said on Thursday.
* NATIONAL GRID: Britain should have enough electricity to
meet demand over the summer months, the country's National Grid
Electricity System Operator (ESO) said on Thursday, even though
peak demand could be slightly higher than last year.
* GOLD: Gold prices slipped as investors turned to riskier
assets after the U.S. Federal Reserve's latest meeting minutes
indicated continued policy support and cemented hopes of a quick
economic turnaround. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE ended higher on Wednesday,
led by gains in commodity stocks and a weaker pound lifted
exporters. UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Dunelm DNLM.L Trading Statement
Ferrexpo FXPO.L Trading Statement
OSB Group OSBO.L FY Results
Hyve Group HYVE.L H1 Trading
Statement
Johnson Matthey JMAT.L FY Trading
Statement
ASOS ASOS.L HY Results
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