UK Stocks-Factors to watch on March 13 (updated)

Carillion

13/03/2019 08:00

(Adds company news items and futures)
    March 13 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100  .FTSE  is seen opening 18 points
lower at 7,133 on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers, while FTSE 100
futures  .FFIc1  were down 0.42 percent ahead of the cash market open.
    * AVAST: Cyber security firm Avast's  AVST.L  long-time chief executive
officer is stepping down, the company said on Wednesday as it reported
marginally lower-than-expected adjusted revenue and earnings in its first annual
results since listing in May.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2101NK
    * PROVIDENT FINANCIAL: Troubled subprime lender Provident Financial Plc
 PFG.L  swung to a pretax profit in 2018, bolstering its defence against a
hostile takeover by smaller rival Non-Standard Finance Plc  NSF.L .  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2101QR
    * LOOKERS: British car dealership chain Lookers Plc  LOOK.L  on Wednesday
reported a 1.6 percent fall in full-year adjusted pretax profit, hurt by lower
sales of new cars in the UK and higher costs.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2101RQ
    *  HIKMA: Hikma Pharmaceuticals Plc  HIK.L  on Wednesday reported a 19
percent rise in full-year core operating profit, helped by strong demand for its
injectable drugs and a rebound in its generics business.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2101TS
    * STANDARD LIFE: Standard Life Aberdeen  SLA.L  said on Wednesday that Keith
Skeoch had been appointed sole chief executive of Britain's biggest standalone
listed asset manager.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2101EP
    * DIXONS CARPHONE: A British financial watchdog imposed a fine of 29.1
million pounds on Dixons Carphone Plc  DC.L  on Wednesday for mis-selling of
Geek Squad, a mobile phone insurance and technical support service.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2101T2
    * BALFOUR BEATTY: Balfour Beatty Plc's  BALF.L  2018 profit jumped 9.7
percent as the London-listed construction group's turnaround plan paid off and
it selected contracts more carefully in the wake of peer Carillion's  CLLN.L 
collapse last year.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2101UL   
    *  CAPITA: British outsourcing firm Capita  CPI.L  said on Tuesday that
Australia's Corporate Travel Management CTD.AX had made an unsolicited bid for
its travel business.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N20Z3T2
    * SMITH & NEPHEW: Smith & Nephew Plc  SN.L  said on Tuesday it would buy
U.S.-based regenerative medicine maker Osiris Therapeutics OSIR.O for $660
million, as the British medical products maker looks to bulk up in an area that
is quickly growing.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N20Z37W
    * GOLD: Gold rose to its highest level in nearly two weeks on Wednesday,
after regaining the key $1,300 level in prior session, buoyed by safe haven
demand from Brexit chaos and a fall in dollar after a softer U.S.
data. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N210029
    * OIL: Oil prices rose on Wednesday, pushed up by ongoing supply cuts from
producer cartel OPEC and U.S. sanctions against Iran and Venezuela.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2100UE
    * The UK blue chip index closed 0.29 percent up at 7151.15 on Thursday after
a fall in the pound triggered by the government's lawyer saying last-minute
assurances won by Prime Minister Theresa May for her Brexit deal left the risk
over the so-called Irish backstop "unchanged".  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N20Z23S
    * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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 (Reporting by Adil Bhat)
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