* HAMMERSON: British shopping centre owner Hammerson Plc is in talks with France's Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield to sell its stake in a joint venture between the two
companies, Sky news reported.
* MELROSE: Melrose Industries listed shares in the
former automotive division of British engineer GKN on the London
Stock Exchange, giving a boost to Britain's top bourse after it
recently lost some high-profile listings to New York.
* ECONOMY: British consumers were their most upbeat in more
than a year this month, despite the surging cost of living, as
they took a more positive view of their finances and the health
of the wider economy, market research firm GfK said.
* OIL: Oil prices eased for the third straight day and
looked set for a hefty weekly loss as softening U.S. economic
data and a rise in U.S. gasoline inventories raised concerns
about a recession and slower global oil demand.
* GOLD: Gold prices drifted lower as the dollar steadied,
although soft U.S. economic data reinforced expectations that
the Federal Reserve would pause its tightening cycle after
delivering one more rate hike next month.
* The UK's FTSE 100 index closed slightly up on Thursday as
a jump in shares of consumer conglomerate Melrose offered just
enough of a boost to overshadow falls in commodity-linked
sectors.
CORPORATE DIARY:
Glencore Plc Q1 production results
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines (Reporting by Muhammed HUsain in Bengaluru)
