UK Stocks-Factors to watch on April 23 (updated)
23/04/2025 07:55
Adds new items, updates futures April 23 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening up on Wednesday, with futures FFIc1 up 1.2%. * RECKITT: Reckitt RKT.L, Dettol and Lysol cleaning products maker, missed its first-quarter like-for-like net sales growth estimate on fewer sales in Europe and North America. * QUILTER: British wealth manager Quilter QLT.L said its April 17 estimate for managed assets was about 3% below the quarter-end level, a consequence of high market volatility caused by U.S. President Donald Trump's volley of tariffs. * BABCOCK: British engineering company Babcock BAB.L expects fiscal 2025 operating profit to jump 17% y/y to 363 million pounds ($483.2 million), comfortably beating market estimates, driven by strong performance across its divisions. * ARGENTEX: British currency risk management company Argentex AGFX.L said it was in advanced talks with foreign exchange and payments solutions provider IFX Payments about a possible offer. * FOXTONS: British estate agency Foxtons FOXT.L reported a 24% increase in its first-quarter revenue, driven by a surge in first-time buyers rushing to beat the end of the UK's purchase tax relief. * BUDGET DEFICIT: Britain's government borrowed 151.9 billion pounds over the course of the 2024-25 financial year, considerably more than the official budget forecasters had estimated only a month ago, data showed. * OIL: Oil prices extended Tuesday's gains as investors weighed a fresh round of U.S. sanctions on Iran, a drop in U.S. crude stocks and a softer tone from U.S. President Donald Trump toward the Federal Reserve. * GOLD: Gold prices fell nearly 2%. * METALS: Copper prices in London hit a near three-week high. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: LIVE/ TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times PRESS/FT > Other business headlines PRESS/GB (Compiled by Simone Lobo and DhanushVignesh Babu in Bengaluru) ((Simone.Lobo@thomsonreuters.com; +919920570373;))