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April 21(Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 6 points lower at 6,854 on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers, while futures FFIc1 were up 0.3% ahead of the cash market open.
* INFLATION: British consumer price inflation rose to 0.7% in March from 0.4% in February, reflecting higher fuel and clothing prices, official figures showed. QUILTER: Wealth manager Quilter QLT.L reported a 26% year-on-year jump in total assets for the first quarter, driven by a rebound in market sentiment because of mass vaccinations and COVID-19 stimulus measures. BUNZL: Bunzl Plc BNZL.L reported a rise in first-quarter revenue, on the back of recent acquisitions and strong sales of COVID-19-related goods, and maintained its guidance for the year. HUNTING: Oilfield services group Hunting Plc HTG.L said its first-quarter earnings were in line with expectations despite a hit to the company's Texas facilities in February when the U.S. state faced severe cold weather. BP: British oil major BP 's BP.L output at its projects in Azerbaijan stood at 5.9 million tonnes in the first quarter of the year, the Azeri energy ministry said on Wednesday. BHP: BHP Group Ltd BHP.AX BHPB.L said it expects annual iron ore production at the upper end of its forecast, although bad weather and planned maintenance at its operations in Western Australia sent third-quarter output nearly 2% lower. RIO TINTO/SANTOS: Australia's No.2 independent gas producer Santos Ltd STO.AX said it had signed a natural gas supply deal with long-term buyer Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) RIO.AX . EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE: England's Premier League teams withdrew from the European Super League on Tuesday leaving the project in tatters just 48 hours after it was launched. GROCERS: The global grocery sector grew a record 10% in 2020, industry data showed, as people stuck at home under COVID-19 restrictions cooked, baked and drank more. ECONOMY: Households in Britain hit by COVID-19 job losses suffered a much bigger fall in their incomes than in France and Germany where social security is more generous and incomes are more equal, the Resolution Foundation think-tank said. OIL: Oil prices fell for a second day on concerns that soaring COVID-19 cases in India will drive down fuel demand in the world's third biggest oil importer. GOLD: Gold prices rose, hovering near a seven-week high hit earlier this week, as a soggy dollar and a retreat in U.S. Treasury yields lifted demand for the safe-haven metal. London's FTSE 100 ended lower on Tuesday, dragged down by stocks of heavyweight oil companies and cigarette makers, while Associated British Foods (LON:ABF) slipped after a downbeat first-half earnings update. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: LIVE/
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