<div id="readability-page-1"><div> Britain's FTSE 100 CURRENCYCOM:UK100 index is seen opening lower on Thursday, with futures * BP: BP , Woodside Energy and Chevron were the top winners at the U.S. government's first sale of oil and gas drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico since 2023.* PRUDENTIAL: Prudential said it has sold a 4.5% stake in ICICI Prudential Asset Management (IICL.NS) for 49 billion rupees (about $545 million) ahead of the Indian fund manager's $1.2 billion IPO that opens on Friday.* HOUSING MARKET: Britain's housing market slowed after finance minister Rachel Reeves' budget last month, according to a survey of chartered surveyors that showed buyer enquiries falling at the fastest rate in over two years.* OIL: Oil prices were broadly stable as investors shifted their focus back to Russia-Ukraine peace talks while watching for any fallout from a U.S. seizure of a sanctioned tanker off the coast of Venezuela.* METALS: Copper outperformed its base metal peers supported by a softer dollar after the U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates.* GOLD: Gold eased pulling back from a near one-week high, after the U.S. Federal Reserve delivered a divided interest rate cut.* FTSE: Britain's blue-chip FTSE 100 closed up 0.1% on Wednesday, supported by gains in banking stocks as investors awaited the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate decision.* EX-DIVS: Associated British Foods will trade without entitlement to its latest dividend pay-out on Thursday.* UK CORPORATE DIARY: <ul><li>NCC Group </li><li>NCCG.L</li><li>Full Year Results</li></ul>* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: TODAY'S UK PAPERS&gt; Financial Times &gt; Other business headlines </div></div>

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Britain's FTSE 100 index is expected to open lower on Thursday. BP, Woodside Energy, and Chevron were top winners in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil and gas drilling rights sale. Prudential sold a 4.5% stake in ICICI Prudential Asset Management for $545 million. UK's housing market slowed after the recent budget. Oil prices stable amid Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Copper outperformed due to a softer dollar. Gold eased after the U.S. Fed's interest rate cut. FTSE 100 closed up 0.1% on Wednesday. Associated British Foods to trade ex-dividend on Thursday.

UK Stocks-Factors to watch on December 11