UK Stocks-Factors to watch on March 20 (updated)
20/03/2025 08:04
Adds new items, updates futures
March 20 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower on Thursday, with futures FFIc1 down 0.15%.
* OFGEM: OFGEM said it would accelerate 4 billion pounds ($5.19 billion) investment in the UK's electricity grid.
* OFCOM: Britain to drive
full-fibre coverage
to 96% of premises by 2027, while capping BT's Openreach price for speeds up to 80Mbit/s, Ofcom said.
* WAGES: British average weekly earnings, excluding bonuses, rose by
5.9%
in the three months to January, the Office for National Statistics said.
* ENERGEAN: Energean ENOG.L reported a 2% rise in annual profit after tax, but flagged impairment charges of about $241 million.
* RATHBONES: Rathbones RAT.L chief to retire.
* BLOOMSBURY: Bloomsbury Publishing BLPU.L said trading for the year ended February is ahead of market expectations.
* WICKES: Wickes' annual adjusted pre-tax profit
fell 16%.
* CRANSWICK: Cranswick CWK.L increased its medium-term operating margin target, helped by strong demand for its pork and poultry products.
* CREST NICHOLSON: Crest Nicholson CRST.L said it had made a strong start to 2025.
* BP: Activist investor Follow This plans to call for a
vote against
BP BP.L Chair Helge Lund's reappointment.
* LLOYDS: Lloyd's LLOY.L is targeting an 8.1% increase in gross written premiums in 2025, the CFO told The Insurer.
* INTEREST RATES: The Bank of England looks set to keep interest rates on hold.
* PRUDENTIAL: Prudential PRU.L posted a rise in 2024 adjusted operating profit before tax.
* COMMODITIES: Oil prices rose on Thursday, while gold rose to an all-time high and copper prices hit their highest in more than five months.
* EX-DIVS: Hikma Pharmaceuticals HIK.L, Beazley BEZG.L, Pearson PSON.L and Chemring Group CHG.L will trade without entitlement to its latest dividend pay-out on Thursday.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: LIVE/
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
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($1 = 0.7713 pounds)
(Compiled by Simone Lobo in Bengaluru)
((Simone.Lobo@thomsonreuters.com; +919920570373))