Jan 17 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is expected to open lower on Wednesday, with futures down 1.32%.
* BP: BP named Murray Auchincloss as permanent CEO on Wednesday.
* ANTOFAGASTA: Antofagasta reported a 2% rise in 2023 copper production on Wednesday.
* GSK: GSK has
raised
978 million pounds ($1.24 billion) from a discounted sale of a stake in its spun-off consumer healthcare business Haleon , the British drugmaker said.
* PEARSON: British education company Pearson said it had met its
guidance
for 2023.
* INFLATION: Britain's annual rate of consumer price inflation
rose
for the first time in 10 months in December, official figures unexpectedly showed.
* 888: Bookmaker 888 Holdings said it expects this year's profits to be at the low end of market expectations.
* LIONTRUST: Specialist fund manager Liontrust posted a
rise
in its third-quarter net outflows.
* MITCHELLS & BUTLERS: UK's Mitchells & Butlers said
sales
picked up strongly in the festive season.
* WIZZ AIR: Hungarian budget carrier Wizz Air has
met
its commitments to Britain's aviation regulator to improve its customer service, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said.
* IAG: British Airways owner IAG expects EU antitrust regulators to open a full-scale investigation into its plan to buy Spain's Air Europa, IAG's chief executive said.
* DRAX: British power plant operator Drax said on Tuesday the government had approved its planning application to convert two biomass units.
* METAL: London copper fell on Wednesday.
* GOLD: Gold prices extended losses on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar strengthened.
* OIL: Oil fell on Wednesday as economic growth in China, slightly missed expectations.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times
> Other business headlines (Reporting by Hani Kollathodi in Bengaluru)