Jan 8 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 33 points
higher at 6,890 on Friday, according to financial bookmakers.
* SIGNATURE AVIATION: U.S. private equity firm Carlyle CG.O made a
takeover approach for London-based Signature Aviation SIGSI.L , setting the
stage for a potential bidding war with Blackstone BX.N for the Bill
Gates-backed company. * RETAIL: More than 50 British retailers, including Tesco TSCO.L and Marks
& Spencer MKS.L , face potential tariffs for re-exporting goods to the European
Union, their trade body said, amid warnings this could make Britain less
competitive. * JOBS: Britain's job market strengthened for the first time in three months
in December, before a renewed lockdown this month, with an increase in permanent
hiring and a small rise in the number of vacancies, a monthly survey of
recruiters showed. * ECONOMY: A wave of optimism washed over bosses of major British companies
in December, ahead of a tightening of COVID-19 restrictions this month, even
though many thought it would take a long time to recover fully from the
pandemic, a survey showed. * COVID-19: Britain's government will require people entering England to
present a negative COVID-19 test result on arrival starting next week to protect
against new strains of the coronavirus from other countries, the government
said. * GOLD: Gold inched lower as the U.S. dollar and Treasury yields firmed,
although hopes for additional stimulus in the world's largest economy kept
bullion on course for a second straight weekly gain. * OIL: Oil prices held near 11-month highs and were on track for a strong
weekly gain as Saudi Arabia's pledge to cut output continued to buoy market
sentiment. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 0.2% higher on Thursday as investors
bet on a bigger U.S. stimulus package under a Democrat administration, while
retailer Sainsbury jumped after raising its profit outlook. UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Marks and Spencer Group Plc MKS.L Q3 trading statement
Barratt Developments Plc BDEV.L Trading statement
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