LONDON, – Britain’s FTSE 100 index is seen opening 2 to 6 points higher, or up as much as 0.1 percent, on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on
* The blue-chip index ended 0.2 percent higher at 7,062.93 points in the previous session.
* TESCO – Britain’s biggest retailer Tesco posted the worst annual loss in its 96-year history after writing down the value of its stores by 4.7 billion pounds ($7.02 billion). Tesco’s trading profit was 1.4 billion pounds, in line with company guidance but less than half of the 3.3 billion pounds made the year before and a third straight year of decline.
* TRAVIS PERKINS – The company reported that its sales grew 7.2 percent and said its overall trading was in line with expectations.
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* BHP BILLITON – The miner said on Wednesday it would delay an expansion of its iron ore output to 290 million tonnes a year, becoming the first big miner to slow a planned production increase amid a plunge in prices.
* BP – The company is seeking buyers for as much as $2 billion of U.S. pipelines and storage terminals, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
* HAMMERSON – The company signed a 415 million pounds ($619.55 million) revolving credit facility, with a maturity of five years that may be extended to a maximum period of seven years.
* Oil prices extended declines from the previous session on Wednesday as Middle East tension eased after Saudi Arabia ended an air strike campaign in Yemen, but industry leaders said the market could rebound as attention turned to rising demand.
* London copper was little changed near four-week lows on Wednesday as persistently weak consumer demand from China offset concerns that mine supply may fall below expectations.
*(Reuters)*