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May 10 (Reuters) - Futures for Britain's FTSE 100 index FFIc1 were up 0.40% at 7,131 on Monday.
* DIGNITY: Dignity Plc DTY.L reported a 35% jump in first-quarter profit due to a rise in demand for funeral services amid the COVID-19 pandemic. PROVIDENT FINANCIAL: Provident Financial PFG.L called it quits on its doorstep-lending division, putting 2,100 jobs at risk. GREGGS: Greggs GRG.L raised its profit outlook after a strong recovery in sales following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca Plc AZN.L may skip asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency-use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine and instead pursue the more time-intensive application for a full-fledged license to sell the shot, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. COVID-19: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hold a press conference later today about how the country will move into the next phase of reopening from the COVID-19 lockdown, junior minister Nadine Dorries said. TRADE: Companies in freeports in Britain will not get to enjoy the full benefits of the new tax-efficient zones if they are exporting to certain countries including Canada, Norway, Switzerland and Singapore, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. GOLD: Gold prices inched higher after weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs data supported hopes that interest rates will remain low for some time, bolstering the metal's appeal. OIL: Crude prices rose after a major cyberattack forced the shutdown of critical fuel supply pipelines in the United States and highlighted the fragility of its oil infrastructure. The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 0.7% higher on Friday as hopes of a stronger economic recovery lifted industrial and consumer discretionary stocks, while Meggitt MGGT.L shares soared on a takeover report. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: LIVE/
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