July 25 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 4 points lower at 7,705 on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers.
* BHP: The world's largest copper mine, BHP's BLT.L , BHP.AX Escondida in Chile, said on Tuesday it had made a final offer in talks with the union representing its rank-and-file workers that includes a beefed up contract signing bonus and a 1.5 percent increase in wages. METRO BANK: British lender Metro Bank MTRO.L said on Tuesday it would raise about 300 million pounds ($394 million) through a share placing and reported higher first-half underlying pretax profit, setting it on track for its second full year of profitability. LENTA: Russian food retailer Lenta LNTAq.L expects positive free cash flow next year, the company told investors on Tuesday. BRITAIN-INSURANCE: Brussels, Athens and Piraeus are among cities London insurance brokers could consider for European Union subsidiaries, with time running out to plan for a hard Brexit, a trade body said on Wednesday. GOLD: Gold prices were little changed on Wednesday as the dollar held steady ahead of a meeting between the U.S. and European Commission presidents to discuss trade-related issues. OIL: Oil prices rose for a second day on Wednesday after industry group data showed U.S. crude inventories fell more than expected last week, easing worries about oversupply that had dragged on markets in recent sessions. The UK blue chip FTSE 100 .FTSE index ended the session up 0.7 percent at 7,709.05 points on Tuesday, as banks and mining companies rallied, joining in with a broader rise across European stocks as sectors bruised by trade uncertainty regained some ground. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
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