Dec 23 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 0.12 percent lower on Friday, according to financial bookmakers.
European markets are expected to have a quiet session as it is only a half-day on the London Stock Exchange, with the British market shutting at 1230 GMT.
* The UK blue chip index ended up 0.3 percent on Thursday in thin pre-Christmas volumes, led by gains in the energy sector and among precious metals miners. BARCLAYS: The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday sued Barclays Plc BARC.L and two former executives on civil charges of fraud in the sale of mortgage-backed securities during the run-up to the 2008-09 financial crisis. DEUTSCHE BANK: Deutsche Bank DBKGn.DE has agreed to a $7.2 billion settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over its sale and pooling of toxic mortgage securities in the run-up to the 2008 financial crisis. IAG: British Airways ICAG.L cabin crew have called off a planned Christmas strike, trade union Unite said on Thursday. UK CONSUMER CONFIDENCE: British consumer confidence fell this month to its lowest level since the immediate aftermath of the EU referendum, crimped by worries around rising inflation pressures, a survey by YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research showed on Friday. OIL: Oil prices slipped on Friday in thin Asian trade ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays, eroding some of the gains in the previous session as traders took profits. METALS: London copper was on track for a second week of losses on Friday, but remains on track for its biggest annual gain since 2010 on signs of economic recovery as investors locked in profits on the final trading day before the Christmas break. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
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