Empiric Share News (ESP)

March 21 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening up 13points on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures0.26 pct higher ahead of the cash market open.

* SHELL: Oil major Royal Dutch Shell said it expects to generate $6billion to $7 billion annual organic free cash flow by 2020 for its downstreambusiness.

* KINGFISHER: Kingfisher, Europe's second largest home improvementretailer, beat forecasts with a 1.3 percent rise in annual profit, with a weakperformance in France offset by strong growth at Screwfix in Britain and inPoland.

* FERREXPO: Iron ore pellet producer Ferrexpo raised its 2017dividend by 150 percent on Wednesday as earnings jumped on strongerdemand.

* MOTHERCARE: British baby goods retailer Mothercare Plc said onWednesday its lenders agreed to defer a testing of its financial covenants dueon March 24 and that discussions with them on the terms of its existingfinancial facilities were "progressing constructively".

* VECTURA: British drugmaker Vectura reported a 17.2 percent rise in2017 revenue on Wednesday, aided by higher demand for its asthma productsFlutiform and Ultibro.

* CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA: The suspended chief executive of UK-based politicalconsultancy Cambridge Analytica claimed in secretly recorded video that hiscompany played a decisive role in the 2016 election campaign of President DonaldTrump, Channel 4 News reported on Tuesday.

* BP: British oil major BP will drill its first deepwater explorationwell at a block it operates in the southern Gulf of Mexico during the thirdquarter of 2020, according to a plan approved Tuesday by Mexican oil regulatorCNH.

* INFLATION: British inflation was weaker than expected in February as theimpact of the 2016 Brexit vote faded, easing some of the squeeze on households'spending power but doing little to change bets on a Bank of England rate rise inMay.

* OIL: Oil prices rose on Wednesday, lifted by tensions in the Middle Eastand healthy demand, although rising U.S. output continued to weigh on markets.

* GOLD: Gold prices rose on Wednesday as the dollar fell as investors awaitthe outcome of the U.S. Federal Reserve's meeting this week for signs of thepace of monetary tightening, which could limit the demand for bullion goingforward.

* The UK blue chip index closed 0.3 percent higher at 7,061.27 on Tuesday,with banks leading the way after data showed a small slowdown in inflation,while Fenner shares surged after a takeover offer from tyre maker Michelin.

* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets

TODAY'S UK PAPERS

> Financial Times

> Other business headlinesMultimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for:* 3000 Xtra : visit http://topnews.session.rservices.com* For Top News : http://topnews.reuters.com(Reporting by Radhika Rukmangadhan in Bengaluru)