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March 20 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 futures FFIc1 were flat ahead of the cash market open on Monday.
* HANSTEEN: Britain's Hansteen Holdings HSTN.L has agreed to sell its German and Dutch property portfolios for 1.28 billion euros ($1.38 billion) to entities owned by funds advised by affiliates of the Blackstone (NYSE:BX) Group LP BX.N and M7 Real Estate, the company said on Monday. PHOENIX: Phoenix Group Holdings PHNX.L , Britain's largest owner of life assurance funds closed to new customers, raised its long-term cash generation target due to benefits of acquisitions made last year. UNILEVER: Unilever ULVR.L is preparing a 6 billion pound ($7.44 billion) sale of some of its food brands, British newspapers reported on Saturday. BHP BILLITON: The labor union at the world's largest copper mine, BHP Billiton's BLT.L Escondida in Chile, called a fresh offer of talks by management to end a 39-day strike "manipulative." RBS: Lawyers representing tens of thousands of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) RBS.L shareholders have held tentative talks to settle a 1.2 billion pound damages claim over the lender's 2008 rights issue that was launched shortly before a state bailout, two sources said. PETROFAC/WOOD GROUP: Canada's SNC-Lavalin SNC.TO and Petrofac PFC.L are eyeing Wood Group WG.L and Amec Foster Wheeler AMFW.L with the aim of acquiring assets and contracts likely to be divested by the UK pair as a result of their 2.2 bln pounds merger, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. ASTRAZENECA: A newer class of type 2 diabetes drugs significantly cut the risk of death and hospitalization for heart failure compared with other medicines for the disease, according to data released on Sunday from a so-called real world study sponsored by AstraZeneca AZN.L . MELROSE: Melrose Industries MRON.L bosses are likely to be handed shares worth more than 150 mln pounds, Sky News reported on Sunday. BRITAIN HOUSING: Asking prices for homes in England and Wales are showing above-average increases as a shortage of properties for sale outweighed any nervousness about Brexit, a survey published by property data firm Rightmove showed on Monday. BREXIT: Prime Minister Theresa May will visit Wales on Monday as part of a plan to engage with all the nations of the United Kingdom before she formally launches Britain's departure from the European Union. OIL: Oil prices fell on Monday as rising U.S. drilling activity and steady supplies from OPEC countries despite touted production cuts pressured already-bloated markets. The UK blue chip FTSE 100 .FTSE index ended 0.1 percent higher at 7,424.96 points on Friday, closing at a record level but with a stronger sterling capping gains. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
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