(Adds company news items, futures)
March 14 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening up 4.7 points on Tuesday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures FFIc1 up 0.2 percent ahead of the cash market open.
* OCADO: Ocado OCDO.L , the British online supermarket that has been testing investors' patience with its failure to land an overseas deal, said there were signs of pricing pressures in the market, though it did maintain its rate of sales growth in its latest quarter. CLOSE BROTHERS GROUP: British lender Close Brothers Group CBRO.L reported a 21 percent rise in first-half adjusted operating profit, driven by strength in its core banking business and higher trading income from market maker Winterflood. TP ICAP: TP ICAP (LON:NXGN) Plc's TCAPI.L full-year revenue just beat analyst forecasts as U.S. stocks' record-setting rally and expectations of further U.S. rate hikes spurred trading volumes for the financial broker. ANTOFAGASTA: Chilean copper miner Antofagasta ANTO.L on Tuesday reported a surge in full-year earnings on lower costs and better prices, saying it expected commodity prices to improve further this year. BHP BILLITON: BHP Billiton BLT.L on Monday invited striking workers at its Escondida copper mine in Chile, the world's largest, to return to the negotiating table, after they rejected a similar approach on Saturday. AMEC FOSTER WHEELER-JOHN WOOD: Oil services company Wood Group WG.L has agreed to buy rival Amec Foster Wheeler AMFW.L for 2.2 billion pounds ($2.7 billion), seeking rewards from the fast-growing U.S. shale energy sector. MISYS : U.S. investment firm Vista Equity Partners said on Monday it would buy Canada's DH Corp DH.TO in a deal valued at C$4.8 billion ($3.6 billion), highlighting the growing interest in companies specializing in financial technology. Vista will combine DH with one of its portfolio companies, UK-based financial software firm Misys IPO-MISY.L , which scrapped a planned London listing last year. IPO: Iran's top cargo shipping company has held meetings in London to discuss a possible listing on the London Stock Exchange, but has so far been thwarted by U.S. sanctions that still scare banks off Iranian business, four Iranian and two Western sources said. BANK OF ENGLAND: Bank of England's incoming deputy governor Charlotte Hoggs's future is in the balance with the treasury committee set to release a report about her suitability for the post, the Financial Times reported. http://on.ft.com/2mT64xA
* OIL: Crude oil prices hovered near three-month lows on Tuesday in Asian trading, with investors waiting for key reports and data that may shed light on a supply overhang in the global market. BREXIT: Prime Minister Theresa May has won the right to launch divorce proceedings with the European Union and begin two years of talks that will shape the future of Britain and Europe. The UK blue chip FTSE 100 .FTSE index ended up 0.3 percent at 7,367.08 points on Monday, as mining stocks rallied, with deal-making helping the mid cap index .FTMC to a record high. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
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