July 4 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening flat at
7,609 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.
* WOODFORD: British asset manager Woodford Investment Management is planning
to cut staff at its offices in Oxford in central England after the suspension of
the firm's flagship 3.7 billion pound ($4.65 billion) fund a month ago.
* GOLD: Gold prices inched up, supported by a decline in U.S. Treasury
yields amid prospects of an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve, while
investors sought direction from upcoming U.S. non-farm payrolls data.
* OIL: Oil prices inched lower after solid gains the day before, pressured
by data showing a smaller-than-expected decline in U.S. crude stockpiles.
* The UK blue chip index closed 0.7% higher on Wednesday, as sterling fell
after weak economic data, which aided exporter firms, reinforced bets that the
Bank of England would cut interest rates and drove investors to high-dividend
stocks. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
LIVE/
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Persimmon Plc PSN.L HY trading update
Associated British Foods ABF.L Q3 Trading update
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times PRESS/FT
> Other business headlines PRESS/GB