March 24 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening higher on Thursday, with futures up 0.15%.
* ENERGEAN: East Mediterranean-focused gas producer Energean said on Thursday it will pay its maiden dividend in the fourth quarter of 2022, while reporting an increase in its annual earnings, helped by a recovery in energy prices.
* NEXT PLC: British clothing retailer Next reported a 10% rise in annual profit versus 2019-20 but has trimmed its sales and profit guidance for its new year with an improved outlook for the UK offset by a deteriorating picture overseas.
* ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca said on Thursday its cancer drug Imfinzi in a late-stage trial failed to improve the chances of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer living without the disease worsening, when given along with chemoradiotherapy.
* MCCOLL'S: British convenience store chain McColl's said on Thursday Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Miller had stepped down and that a search for his replacement was in progress.
* PLAYTECH: Gaming software supplier Playtech Plc reported a 25% jump in annual earnings on Thursday that also surpassed the company's expectations, and said it may have to impair some assets in Ukraine.
* ENQUEST: British North Sea-focused oil producer EnQuest reported a 35% rise in annual adjusted core profit on Thursday buoyed by higher oil prices, while saying the positive price environment stemming from the Ukraine crisis also supported its 2022 outlook.
* P&O FERRIES: The British government will take legal action against P&O Ferries because it believes the company broke the law in firing 800 staff without prior notice, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday.
* POWER LINK: Available capacity on a 1,400-megawatt (MW) subsea power cable connecting Norway and Britain will be halved until the end of the month due to a failure, Norwegian grid operator Statnett said on Wednesday.
* FTSE 100: UK's FTSE 100 ended lower on Wednesday as measures unveiled by finance minister Rishi Sunak to ease the worst cost-of-living squeeze in decades fell short of some investors' expectations.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times
> Other business headlines (Reporting by Aby Jose Koilparambil in Bengaluru)