UK Stocks-Factors to watch on February 19 (updated)
19/02/2026 07:45
Adds new items, updates futures Feb 19 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening higher on Thursday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.25%. * MONDI: Mondi MNDI.L cut its 2025 dividend by about 60%, after reporting a drop in annual adjusted core profit, due to tepid demand and low pulp prices. * CENTRICA: Centrica CNA.L paused its share buyback programme after the British Gas owner reported a nearly 39% drop in 2025 group core profit, citing a "challenging" market and uneven performance across its business. * RIO TINTO: Rio Tinto RIO.L reported flat annual earnings that missed expectations as weaker iron ore prices weighed on its core business. * DEBENHAMS: Debenhams DEBS.L said it has raised about 40 million pounds through an oversubscribed share placement. * LSEG: Elliott Investment Management is pressing London Stock Exchange Group LSEG.L to conduct a full review of its portfolio and launch a 5 billion pound buyback, a person familiar with the matter said. * FTSE RUSSELL: FTSE Russell proposed introducing a "fast-entry" mechanism for initial public offerings and revising eligibility requirements for its Russell U.S. Equity Indexes ahead of several large listings. * LABOUR COST: British retailers have grown markedly more anxious about rising labour costs over the next year after new employment rights began to be implemented, a trade body survey of finance chiefs showed. * COMMODITIES: Oil prices rose, LME copper ticked down , and gold prices edged up. * EX-DIVS: AstraZeneca AZN.L, Shell SHEL.L, BP BP.L, Barclays BARC.L, Imperial Brands IMB.L and Easyjet EZJ.L will trade without entitlement to its latest dividend pay-out. * 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 Neeshita Beura in Bengaluru) ((Neeshita.Beura@thomsonreuters.com))