UK Stocks-Factors to watch on August 12
UK Stocks-Factors to watch on August 12 Aug 12 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower on Wednesday, with futures FFIc1 down 0.2%.
* BUSINESS COSTS: Britain's government will do what it can to help lower costs for business, but against the backdrop of a "difficult financial outlook", Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in an interview.
* OIL: Oil prices rose as doubts about a U.S.-Iran peace deal and attacks on two ships fuelled concerns about Middle East supply disruptions, even as industry data showed U.S. crude inventories expanded.
* GOLD: Gold rose nearly 1%, supported by reduced bets on Federal Reserve tightening next month as investors awaited key U.S. inflation data that could reshape policy expectations.
* METALS: Copper edged up as a temporary shutdown at a major Indonesian smelter added to the pressure on global red metal stocks, while investors prepared to parse through key U.S. inflation data.
* FTSE: The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed down 0.17% on Tuesday after shares in Spirax tumbled following the valve maker's full-year guidance disappointed investors, while Legal & General led a selloff in insurers after multiple brokerage downgrades.
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Evoke | EVOK.L | Half Year Results |
Balfour Beatty | BALF.L | Half Year Results |
GoodwinPLC | GDWN.L | Half Year Results |
* 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 in Bengaluru)
((Simone.Lobo@thomsonreuters.com, +919920570373))