* CEO says focus is on productivity* Major miners have reported increased cash, reduced debt* Stronger South African rand creates headwind (Adds detail on Quellaveco, diamonds, update share price)By Barbara LewisLONDON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Anglo American AAL.L said on Thursday annual earnings rose 45 percent and net debt halved as the miner recovered from a commodities slump, but its share rally...Read More

(Adds company news and futures)Feb 21 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE futures FFIc1 were down 0.06 percent ahead of the cash market open.* METRO BANK: British lender Metro Bank MTRO.L reported its first annual profit on Wednesday, driven by strong growth in residential mortgages and commercial lending. HOCHSCHILD: Hochschild Mining Plc HOCM.L expects production to double this year as it ramps up outp...Read More

Feb 21 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 5 points lower at 7,241.9 on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers.* LLOYDS BANKING: Lloyds Banking Group Plc LLOY.L is set to unveil a 1 billion pound ($1.40 billion) share buyback plan and its three-year strategy, Sky News reported. ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND: Britain lawmakers said on Tuesday they have published in full a repo...Read More

(Adds company news and futures)Feb 20 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen to open 8 points higher at 7,256.1 on Tuesday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures FFIc1 up 0.15 percent ahead of the cash market open.* SPORTS DIRECT: British sportswear retailer Sports Direct SPD.L plans to buy back up to 100 million pounds ($139.7 million) of its equity as it seeks to further...Read More

Feb 20 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen to open 8 points higher at 7,256.1 on Tuesday, according to financial bookmakers.* HSBC HOLDINGS: HSBC Holdings ' HSBA.L 2017 pre-tax profit rose 142 percent as the lender avoided the multi-billion dollar restructuring costs that marred its 2016 results but the profit growth lagged expectations as it took a writedown following U.S. tax cha...Read More

Investing.com - Gold prices pulled back from three-week highs on Friday as the dollar rebounded against a currency basket, but losses were held in check as the dollar remained near multi-year lows.Gold futures for April delivery settled down 0.41% at $1,349.70 on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange after hitting the highest level since January 25 at $1,364.40 earlier.For the wee...Read More

(Adds company news and futures)Feb 16 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 30 points higher at 7,264.8 on Friday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures FFIc1 up 0.48 percent ahead of the cash market open.* BGEO: Georgia's BGEO Group Plc BGEO.L , which is planning to split its banking and investment businesses, reported an 8.1 percent rise in full-year profit. BALFOU...Read More

Feb 16 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 30 points higher at 7,264.8 on Friday, according to financial bookmakers.* VIRGIN MONEY: Virgin Money VM.L formed a rare female chair and chief executive team among Britain's top 350 listed companies by hiring former HSBC HSBA.L executive Irene Dorner as chairwoman. TULLOW OIL: British oil firm Tullow oil TLW.L has picked electrical...Read More

Feb 16 (Reuters) - Stock MarketsNet ChngStock MarketsNet Chng S&P/ASX 200** 5,909.00067.800NZX 50**8,063.334.530 DJIA**25,200.37306.88NIKKEI**21,464.98310.81 Nasdaq**7,256.430112.815FTSE**7,234.8120.84 S&P 500**2,731.2032.57Hang Seng**31,115.43599.83 SPI 200 Fut5,88220.00STI**3,443.5140.65 SSEC**3,199.1589014.20020KOSPI**2,421.8326.64 -------------------------------------------------------...Read More

(Adds company news and futures)Feb 15 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 35 points higher at 7,248.8 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures FFIc1 up 0.60 percent ahead of the cash market open.* CONVATEC: British medical devices firm ConvaTec CTEC.L said 2017 profit fell 3.3 percent, bogged down by supply issues at its top two divisions and lower sales...Read More

Feb 15 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 35 points higher at 7,248.8 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.* ANTOFAGASTA: Chilean mining company Antofagasta ANTO.L received environmental approval for a major, $1.1 billion revamp of its Los Pelambres copper mine, the regional government of Coquimbo said on Wednesday. GVC/LADBROKES: Online gambling company GVC GVC...Read More

* US Jan CPI forecast at 1.9 pct, core at 1.7 pct* Dollar under pressure ahead of inflation data* European stock markets open higher, US stock futures firm* Graphic: World FX rates in 2018 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVhBy Dhara RanasingheLONDON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The dollar slid to a 15-month low against the yen on Wednesday, while world stock markets found firmer ground ahead of U.S. inflation numbers...Read More

Investing.com - Gold prices continued higher on Wednesday, as investors looked ahead to U.S. inflation data to gauge how it will impact the Federal Reserve's view on monetary policy in the months ahead.Comex gold futures were up around $6.00, or 0.4%, at $1,335.80 a troy ounce by 3:40AM ET (0840GMT). It reached its best level since Feb. 6 at $1,339.40 earlier in the session.Gold futures scored bac...Read More

(Adds company news and futures)Feb 13 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 37 points higher at 7,213.8 on Tuesday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures FFIc1 up 0.1 percent ahead of the cash market open.* PENDRAGON: British car dealership chain Pendragon PDG.L reported on Tuesday an expected 20 percent drop in underlying pretax profit to 60.4 million pounds ($84...Read More

Feb 13 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 37 points higher at 7,213.8 on Tuesday, according to financial bookmakers.* CARILLION: KPMG and other leading accountancy firms face serious questions over their work with failed construction firm Carillion CLLN.L after making millions of pounds out of their relationships with the company, British lawmakers said on Tuesday. BAE SY...Read More

(Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks rose as Japanese equities joined the global rally following a holiday on Monday, amid signs markets are beginning to stabilize after the biggest weekly rout in two years.Shares advanced from Tokyo to Sydney and S&P 500 Index futures were little changed after the gauge posted its biggest two-day advance in 18 months. The 10-year Treasury yield was steady after fallin...Read More

Investing.com - Gold prices edged higher on Monday, as market players looked ahead to a busy week of economic data, including monthly inflation indicators, for further clues on how fast the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year.Comex gold futures were up around $8.00, or 0.6%, at $1,323.50 a troy ounce by 3:55AM ET (0855GMT).Gold futures declined on Friday to suffer from their larges...Read More

(Adds company news and futures)Feb 12 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 83 points higher at 7,175.5 on Monday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures FFIc1 up 1.25 percent ahead of the cash market open.* SAGA: Saga Plc SAGAG.L , a British tourism and insurance group for the over-50s, said it had signed a quota share deal with NewRe and German reinsurer Hannover...Read More

Feb 12 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen to open 83 points higher at 7,175.5 on Monday, according to financial bookmakers.* LADBROKES: Britain's largest bookmaker Ladbrokes Coral LCL.L reported a 4 percent rise in full year net revenue on Friday helped by strong growth in its European retail and digital business. TESCO: Supermarket group Tesco TSCO.L , Britain's biggest retail...Read More

Investing.com - Gold prices edged lower on Friday in what was a fifth day of declines in the last six sessions as the stronger dollar weighed on the precious metal, making it more expensive for holders of other currencies.Gold futures for April delivery settled at $1,315.70 on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. For the week, prices were down 1.62%.The U.S. dollar index, which...Read More