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April 17 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 futures .FFIc1 were down 0.13percent at 7,405 points on Wednesday, ahead of the cash market open.
* TELECOM PLUS: British multi-utility supplier Telecom Plus PlcTEP.L onWednesday warned that profit for full-year 2019 would be lower-than-expected,citing a drop in revenue in the fourth quarter because of a price cap by thecountry's energy regulator and expansion-related losses.
* LONDON RAIL: London was bracing for disruption by climate-change activiststo underground train services on Wednesday after protesters blocked some ofLondon's most important junctions including Oxford Circus and Marble Arch.
* HUNTING: British oilfield services firm Hunting HTG.L said on Wednesdayfirst-quarter core profit was in line with its goals as U.S. onshore activityremained busy, but warned of competition hurting margins at its shale-focusedTitan business.
* MINERS: BHP GroupBHP.AXBHPB.L , the world's biggest miner, joinedrival Rio Tinto RIO.AXRIO.L in cutting forecast for iron ore output after atropical cyclone hit Australia in March. Companies are also under pressure aftera Brazilian court authorized Vale SAVALE3.SA to resume operations at itsBrucutu mine.
* SHELL: Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil firm Saudi Aramco has reached anagreement to buy Shell's RDSa.LRDSa.AS shares in a refining joint venture,according to a report.
* UK MARKETING: British companies spent more on marketing in the openingquarter of 2019 despite uncertainty around Brexit, but their budgets for therest of the year could be the most subdued since after the financial crisis, asurvey showed.
* GOLD: Gold prices stayed below the key $1,280 level on Wednesday, near afour-month trough, as better-than-expected economic readings from China liftedAsian shares and sharpened risk appetite, denting the metal's safe-haven appeal.
* OIL: Oil prices rose for a second day on Wednesday on signs of strongdemand from refineries in China, the world's second-largest crude user, amidtightening supply as producers curtail output and as oil inventories in theUnited States fell unexpectedly.
* The UK blue chip index hit a six month high on Tuesday, as a weakersterling and Asia-focused financial stocks, which gained on upbeat data fromChina, thrust it to levels not seen since October.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: LIVE/
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> Other business headlines PRESS/GB Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * For Top News : http://topnews.reuters.com (Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru) ((Pushkala.A@thomsonreuters.com; within UK: +44 20 7542 1810, outside UK: +9180 6749 6633 ; Reuters Messaging: Pushkala.A.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net;Twitter: @pushkala_a))
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