UK Stocks-Factors to watch on January 20 (updated)
20/01/2026 07:47
Adds new items, updates futures
Jan 20 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower on Tuesday, with futures FFIc1 down 0.5%.
* GSK: Shionogi & Co 4507.T said it would pay $2.13 billion for new shares in joint venture ViiV Healthcare, increasing its stake in the HIV drugmaker to 21.7% as Pfizer PFE.N exits its 11.7% stake. Separately, GSK said that it would acquire RAPT Therapeutics RAPT.O for $2.2 billion.
* ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca AZN.L said it would delist its American Depositary Shares and debt securities from Nasdaq.
* QINETIQ: QinetiQ QQ.L said it is aligning its U.S. business to the national defence and security priorities of the administration, after President Donald Trump's recent call for increasing the military budget.
* DFS FURNITURE: DFS Furniture DFSD.L appointed Dominique Highfield as its CFO.
* IMPERIAL BRANDS: Imperial Brands IMB.L named John Rishton as its Chair designate, succeeding Therese Esperdy.
* JOBS: Britain's jobs market weakened in the run-up to November's budget announcement by finance minister Rachel Reeves, according to official data.
* ANTITRUST FRAMEWORK: Britain aims to refine its competition regime, pledging to make it "faster, more predictable and more proportionate", launching a formal consultation in what could be a major overhaul of one of the world's toughest regulatory frameworks.
* WATER SECTOR: Britain will outline plans to improve England's water sector on Tuesday, promising a new regulator with powers to make more checks on infrastructure and try to prevent sewage spills and supply outages.
* COMMODITIES: Oil prices edged up, copper was rangebound, and gold jumped past $4,700 per ounce for the first time.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: LIVE/
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
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(Compiled by Neeshita Beura in Bengaluru)
((Neeshita.Beura@thomsonreuters.com))