May 15 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen
opening higher on Friday, with futures FFIc1 up 1%.
* BT: BT Group Plc BT.L is in talks to sell a
multi-billion pound stake in its wholly-owned network subsidiary
Openreach to infrastructure investors to help fund an ambitious
expansion in fibre broadband, the Financial Times reported on
Thursday. * MANUFACTURERS: British manufacturers think it will take
longer to recover from the economic impact of COVID-19 than just
a couple of weeks ago, according to an industry survey.
* CARNIVAL: Cruise operator Carnival Corp CCL.N CCL.L
said on Thursday it is cutting 820 positions out of a workforce
of roughly 3,000 employees in Florida, as the future of the
industry remains uncertain amid no-sail orders due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. * OIL: Oil prices rose, extending day-earlier gains, as data
showed demand for crude picking up in China after the easing of
curbs to stem the coronavirus outbreak, boosting hopes that the
global supply overhang may start to fade. * GOLD: Gold rose to hover below a three-week high hit in
the previous session, underpinned by talks of further U.S.
stimulus and worsening U.S.-China relations. * UK stocks closed firmly in the red on Thursday as
investors worried that a recovery from a coronavirus-led
economic slump would be slower than expected even as several
hard-hit countries started easing lockdowns. UK CORPORATE DIARY:
William Hill WMH.L Trading Statement
Signature Aviation SIGSI.L Trading Statement
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please
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