(Adds futures, news items)
Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 19 points lower at 6,105 on
Thursday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures down 0.50% ahead of
cash markets open.
* ROYAL MAIL: Britain's Royal Mail RMG.L laid out restructuring plans that
will affect around 2,000 management roles and see it save 130 million pounds in
staffing costs next year. * LSE: The London Stock Exchange said it had appointed Anna Manz as chief
financial officer from November. * EASYJET: Budget airline easyJet said it had raised about 419 million
pounds ($520.5 million) through a share placing to help it withstand the
COVID-19 pandemic. * MITIE GROUP: Mitie Group MTO.L said it would buy rival Interserve's
facilities management arm for 271 million pounds ($336.64 million). * BAE SYSTEMS: British defence company BAE Systems BAES.L said first-half
profit would be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, but its second-half
performance would be much stronger. * NON-STANDARD FINANCE: British lender Non-Standard Finance NSF.L raised
doubts on its ability to continue as a going concern, with the coronavirus
crisis halting lending. * OIL: Oil prices dipped further after tumbling more than 5% in the previous
session, as a record build in U.S. crude inventories and a rapid resurgence in
COVID-19 cases cast doubts on fuel demand recovery. * GOLD: Gold edged lower, easing off a near eight-year high hit in the last
session, as a selloff in equity markets driven by a surge in coronavirus cases
prompted some investors to dump assets. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE close down 3.1% on Wednesday, as a spike in
novel coronavirus cases across the globe compounded fears of a second wave of
the pandemic. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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