(Adds company news items and futures)
June 15 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 3 points lower on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures FFIc1 down 0.3 percent ahead of the cash market open.
* DFS FURNITURE: British upholstered furniture retailer DFS Furniture DFSD.L warned on Thursday that it would not meet profit expectations for the current year, blaming a weakening trading environment. MAJESTIC WINE: Britain's Majestic Wine WINEW.L Plc said on Thursday its underlying full-year revenue rose 11.4 percent as sales expanded by more than a quarter at its U.S.-focused Naked Wine unit, despite a failed e-mail campaign earlier this year. WS ATKINS: WS Atkins ATKW.L , a British engineering and design consultancy, said its full-year pretax profit rose about 18 percent, helped by its North American business. DRAX: Drax DRX.L has raised its dividend payout target for the year and has changed the way it calculates shareholder rewards to ensure returns grow, the British power producer said on Thursday. ACACIA MINING: Barrick Gold, which owns 63.9 percent of Acacia Mining PLC ACAA.L , said its chairman and Tanzania's president met on Wednesday and agreed to hold talks aimed at resolving an escalating dispute over an export ban which has hit Acacia. BARCLAYS: Expectations have increased among current and former Barclays BARC.L executives that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) plans to charge both the bank and individuals with regard to the inquiry on arrangements struck with a Qatari sovereign wealth fund in 2008, Sky News reported on Wednesday. BRITAIN-INSURANCE: New rules to determine lump sum payouts for personal injury claims will cost British motor insurers and reinsurers 3.5 billion pounds ($4.5 billion) initially, consulting firm EY estimates. U.S. FED RATE HIKE: The Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Wednesday for the second time in three months and said it would begin cutting its holdings of bonds and other securities this year, signaling its confidence in a growing U.S. economy and strengthening job market. U.K. ELECTION-BREXIT: British Prime Minister Theresa May edged closer to clinching a deal to stay in power with the support of Northern Irish kingmakers on Wednesday, but faced a battle over Brexit just days before divorce talks are due to begin. CHINA CEN BANK: China's central bank left interest rates for open market operations unchanged on Thursday, shrugging off an overnight increase in the U.S. Federal Reserve's key policy rate. OIL: Oil prices wallowed near their lowest levels in seven months early on Thursday, hurt by high global inventories and doubts over OPEC's ability to implement production cuts. GOLD: Gold edged up on Thursday from a near three-week low hit in the previous session, supported by softer U.S. economic data and a fall in Asian shares following a report that President Donald Trump was being probed for possible obstruction of justice. LONDON COPPER: London copper dipped to its lowest in a week on Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve raised rates for the second time this year, boosting financing costs for industry. EX-DIVS: 3I Group III.L , Persimmon PSN.L , Severn Trent SVT.L will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 2.48 points off the FTSE 100 according to Reuters calculations The UK blue chip index closed 0.35 percent lower at 7500.44 points on Wednesday, as a late drop in crude prices hit oil stocks, more than offsetting gains in housebuilders following a well-received update from Bellway BWY.L .
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