Dec 7 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is expected to open lower on Thursday, with futures down 0.56%.
* FRASERS GROUP: Frasers, the British sportswear and apparel retailer controlled by Mike Ashley, said it was on track to achieve full-year profit guidance after a 12.6% rise in the first half that reflected the success of its plan to take the group upmarket.
* DS SMITH: DS Smith said its CEO Miles Roberts will retire after 13 years with the British cardboard maker, and will step down no later than Nov. 30, 2025.
* SMART METERING SYSTEMS: British energy infrastructure firm Smart Metering Systems said a company owned by funds advised by KKR and its
affiliates will take it private
in an all-cash deal of about 1.3 billion pounds ($1.63 billion).
* BLOOMSBURY PUBLISHING: Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury Publishing forecast full-year profit and revenue ahead of market view, buoyed by strong demand for its consumer division.
* ENQUEST: British North Sea-focused oil producer EnQuest appointed Jonathan Copus as its finance chief to succeed Salman Malik, who will become the CEO of its unit Veri Energy.
* HOUSE PRICE: British house prices
rose 0.5% in November
, their second monthly rise in a row, after a 1.2% increase in October, mortgage lender Halifax said.
* METALS: London
copper prices rose slightly
as some traders and investors closed their short positions on caution ahead of the release of key payrolls data in the United States.
* OIL: Oil prices reclaimed some ground after tumbling to a six-month low in the previous session but investors remained concerned about sluggish demand and economic slowdowns in the U.S. and China.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times
> Other business headlines ($1 = 0.7963 pounds) (Reporting by Zainab Saifuddin Saifee in Bengaluru)