March 21 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 18 points higher at 7,310 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.
* VODAFONE: Vodafone VOD.L will receive a warning from EU regulators about possible anti-competitive effects from its $22 billion deal to buy Liberty Global's LBTYA.O German and eastern European assets, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. OPHIR: London-listed Ophir Energy Plc OPHR.L said on Wednesday it agreed to be bought by Indonesian oil and gas group Medco MEDC.JK for a sweetened cash bid of 408.4 million pounds ($539 million) after previously agreeing to a lower offer. GOLD: Gold climbed to a three-week peak on Thursday as the U.S. Federal Reserve ruled out chances of any interest rate hike this year, while a surprise cut in U.S. growth forecast added to concerns on global economic slowdown. OIL: Oil prices reached their highest so far for 2019 on Thursday as global markets tightened amid supply cuts led by producer club OPEC and U.S. government sanctions against Iran and Venezuela. EX-DIVS: British American Tobacco BATS.L , Phoenix Group Holdings PHNX.L , Royal Bank of Scotland RBS.L and Segro SGRO.L will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 7.5 points off the FTSE 100 according to Reuters calculations The UK blue chip index closed 0.5 percent lower on Wednesday, after British Prime Minister Theresa May asked the European Union to delay Brexit and caused the FTSE 100 to snap a seven-day winning streak, while a slide in sterling pulled the mid-cap index lower. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: LIVE/
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Portmeirion Group PLC
PMGR.L
Full Year 2018 Earnings Cambridge Cognition Holdings PLC COGC.L
Full Year 2018 Earnings Venture Life Group PLC
VLG.L
Full Year 2018 Earnings Mitie Group
MTO.L
Pre-Close Trading Update LoopUp Group PLC
LOOP.L
Full Year 2018 Earnings Strix Group PLC
KETL.L
Full Year 2018 Earnings Energean Oil & Gas PLC
ENOG.L
Full Year 2018 Earnings Ted Baker PLC
TED.L
Full Year 2019 Earnings Xaar PLC
XAR.L
Half Year 2019 Earnings Sopheon PLC
SPHN.L
Full Year 2018 Earnings Halma PLC
HLMA.L
Full Year 2019 Trading Statement Next PLC
NXT.L
Full Year 2018 Earnings EnQuest PLC
ENQ.L
Full Year 2018 Earnings IG Group Holdings PLC
IGG.L
Q3 2019 Trading Statement
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