(Adds news items, futures)
Nov 18 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 2 points
higher at 7,305 on Monday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures
FFIc1 trading 0.14% higher.
* SAGE GROUP: British software company Sage Group Plc SGE.L said on Monday
it will sell its payment processing unit Sage Pay for about 232 million pounds
($296.87 million) to Elavon, a payments company and unit of U.S. Bancorp
USB.N .
* GULF KEYSTONE: Iraqi Kurdistan-focused oil producer Gulf Keystone
Petroleum GKP.L said on Monday it appointed Ian Weatherdon as chief financial
officer to succeed Sami Zouari, who will step down on Dec. 2. * IQE: Cardiff-based IQE Plc IQE.L said on Monday it expects to report a
'mid-single digit' adjusted operating loss as it downgraded its revenue outlook
for the year due to issues with two of its major customers. * CONSORT MEDICAL: Consort Medical Plc CSRT.L on Monday said Sweden's
Recipharm AB RECIb.ST would buy the London-listed healthcare company for 1,010
pence per share in cash.
* SHELL: A crude oil spill onto a barge docked at Royal Dutch Shell's
RDSa.L oil refinery at Puget Sound, Washington, late on Friday was contained
on Saturday, the company said in a statement. * ROLLS-ROYCE: Air New Zealand Ltd AIR.NZ said on Monday about 14,000
customers would be affected by cancellations this summer because of ongoing
Rolls-Royce RR.L engine checks on its Boeing BA.N 787-9 aircraft.
* RIO TINTO: Australia's Alderan Resources AL8.AX said on Monday that its
unit had partnered with Kennecott Exploration Company, a member company of the
Rio Tinto Group RIO.AX , to help fund the Alderan's Frisco Project in Utah,
United States. * SAVANNAH PETROLEUM: Savannah Petroleum SAVP.L has concluded its purchase
of Nigerian oil and gas company Seven Energy International, it said in a
statement on Friday.
* GOLD: Gold prices eased on Monday as optimism grew about U.S.-China trade
ties following a report of "constructive talks" over the weekend, while losses
were capped by a softer dollar.
* OIL: Oil prices were little changed on Monday following steady gains in
the previous week with investors awaiting fresh clues over prospects for a trade
deal between the United States and China, shrugging off concerns over steadily
rising oil supplies. * The UK blue chip index closed 0.1% higher and the mid-cap outperformed its
European counterparts on Friday after the Brexit Party lent further clarity
ahead of the Dec. 12 election, while hopes that a U.S.-China may be imminent
helped the FTSE 100 eke out gains. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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