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May 1 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening 35 pointshigher at 7,454 on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers, while FTSE 100futures were up 0.52 percent ahead of the cash market open.
* LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE: London Stock Exchange Group Plc, reportedhigher quarterly income on Wednesday, as its clearing and information servicesbusinesses grew strongly against what it called a challenging market backdrop.
* IWG: British office space provider IWG Plc said on Wednesdayrevenue for the first quarter was up over 10 percent, driven by double digitgrowth across America, Europe and Middle East.
* PERSIMMON: Persimmon, Britain's second-largest housebuilder,reported lower revenue from upcoming sales due to fewer reservations so far thisyear, and said the cost to build homes would rise by about 4 percent this year.
* INMARSAT: Inmarsat Plc reported a 13 percent fall in first-quartercore earnings on Wednesday, hit by lower sales at its maritime business and weakdemand for its legacy products such as satellite phones.
* SAINSBURY: Sainsbury Chief Executive Mike Coupe said on Wednesdayhe was not going anywhere after the regulator blocked his plan to acquire rivalAsda.
* SIRIUS: Sirius Minerals plc said on Wednesday it had raised $425million to finance the next stage of its polyhalite mine in NorthYorkshire.* NEXT: British clothing chain Next on Wednesday said warm weatherover the Easter holiday drove a 4.5 percent rise in full-price first-quartersales, beating its own forecasts of a 3.2 percent rise.
* RIO TINTO: Copper miner Rio Tinto Ltd, "firmly believes"that the United States and China will ink a trade deal, Chief ExecutiveJean-Sebastien Jacques told the CNBC television network on Tuesday.
* BP: Gambia's government said on Tuesday it had signed a contract with BPto explore oil and gas off its coast.
* OIL: Oil prices fell on Wednesday after a report showed a rise in U.S.crude inventories, but global markets remained tense amid an intensifyingpolitical crisis in Venezuela, tightening U.S. sanctions on Iran, and ongoingOPEC supply cuts.
* GOLD: Gold prices eased on Wednesday on overnight gains in U.S. equities,while a May Day lull gripped most of Asian markets ahead of a closely monitoredFederal Reserve decision on the future trajectory of interest rates.
* The UK blue-chip index closed down 0.3 percent as an unexpected slowdownin China's April factory activity coupled with a firmer pound weighed on theFTSE 100 as miners and exporters weakened, even as Standard Chartered surged onbuyback plans.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times
> Other business headlines(Reporting by Tanishaa Nadkar in Bengaluru)
