UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Oct. 20

(Adds futures, company news items)

Oct 20 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is expected to open 30 points higher at 7,553 on Friday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.43 percent ahead of the cash market open.

  • ACACIA: Gold miner Acacia Mining ACAA.L said on Friday it had cut spending by 33 percent in the third quarter of the year compared with a year ago as it adapted to the ban on its gold and copper exports in Tanzania.
  • SMITHS GROUP: Engineering company Smiths Group SMIN.L said on Friday it had agreed a deal to insure 207 million pounds ($271.38 million) of its pension scheme with Canada Life.
  • IHG: InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) IHG.L reported a slowdown in revenues in its Americas business on Friday, due to the affects of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma on the regional business.
  • GLENCORE: Ukraine's anti-monopoly committee has allowed commodities trader Glencore GLEN.L to own a stake in a major Ukrainian alumina refinery controlled by Russia's Rusal 0486.HK , the committee said in a statement on Wednesday.
  • BHP: The new chairman of BHP BLT.L , (BHP) , the world's biggest miner, threw his weight behind his CEO on Thursday after attacks from activist investor Elliott Advisors prompted speculation that the end of Andrew Mackenzie's tenure was imminent.
  • BOE: Bank of England Deputy Governor Jon Cunliffe said on Thursday he did not see signs of sustained upward inflation pressure, and described the timing of possible future interest rate increases as an "open question".
  • GOLD: Gold prices turned lower on Friday as the dollar regained ground after the U.S. Senate approved a budget blueprint for the 2018 fiscal year that will pave the way for Republicans to pursue a tax-cut package without Democratic support. Spot gold XAU= had declined by 0.4 percent to $1,284.60 an ounce by 0355 GMT. It was down 1.6 percent for the week.
  • COPPER: Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange CMCU3 was modestly firmer at $6,980 a tonne by 0152 GMT, mostly erasing losses from the previous session.
  • Britain's main share index .FTSE fell 0.3 percent on Thursday as a weak third-quarter update from Unilever weighed, while mid- and small-cap trading was marred by profit warnings from IWG and Interserve which slashed their market value by a third. Disappointing retail sales figures sent sterling to a one-week low before recovering, helping the internationally-exposed FTSE reduce earlier losses slightly.
  • For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets


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