July 19 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 32 points higher at 7,525 on Friday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures FFIc1 up 0.44% ahead of the cash market open.
* ASTON MARTIN: The biggest investor in Aston Martin AML.L offered on Friday to buy another 3% stake in the luxury carmaker, whose shares have slumped since listing last year.
BARRICK GOLD: The world's second-biggest gold miner Barrick Gold Corp ABX.TO has agreed a deal to buy Tanzania-focussed Acacia Mining ACAA.L that values the firm at 951 million pounds, Acacia said on Friday.
SSP: British travel-food company SSP Group Plc SSPG.L reported higher quarterly revenue on Friday but said some of its airports in North America were hit by the grounding of Boeing (NYSE:BA) BA.N 737 MAX aircraft and the transfer of passengers away from its terminals.
CLOSE BROTHERS: British merchant bank Close Brothers Group Plc CBRO.L on Friday reported a 5.1% rise in loan book this year on the back of strong lending in its banking division, but flagged low trading volumes at its market maker unit.
ULTRA ELECTRONICS: ERAPSCO, a joint venture between Sparton Corp and a subsidiary of Ultra Electronics ULE.L , was awarded a $1.041 billion U.S. defense contract on Thursday to produce air-launched, expendable sonobuoys used in anti-submarine warfare, the Pentagon said.
OIL: Oil prices climbed around 2% on Friday after the U.S. Navy destroyed an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz, a major chokepoint for global crude flows, again raising tensions in the Middle East.
GOLD: Gold prices on Friday surpassed the key $1,450 level for the first time since May 2013, after comments from a top Federal Reserve official bolstered expectations of an interest rate cut, while fresh tensions in the Middle East further supported bullion.
The UK blue chip index closed 0.5% lower on Thursday as initial batches of corporate earnings jangled nerves over global growth, while losses for London's mid-cap index were capped by a buyout of pub operator Ei Group. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: LIVE/