UK Stocks-Factors to watch on May 7 (updated)
07/05/2026 07:41
Adds news items, updates futures May 7 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening higher on Thursday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.11%. * SHELL: Shell's first-quarter adjusted earnings, its definition of net profit, rose to $6.92 billion, beating an analyst consensus. * IHG: InterContinental Hotels Group IHG.L reported first-quarter global revenue per available room above market estimates, supported by a return to growth in the U.S. market. * COCA-COLA HBC: Bottler Coca-Cola HBC CCH.L missed first-quarter organic revenue growth expectations. * HISCOX: Hiscox HSX.L reported a 10.2% rise in first-quarter insurance contract written premiums, driven by robust growth in its retail insurance business. * JD SPORTS: JD Sports JD.L forecast a further fall in profit in its 2026/27 year, reflecting an expectation of muted market growth. * BAE SYSTEMS: BAE Systems BAES.L said it was on track to meet forecasts for earnings growth of 9% to 11% this year, as the Iran war kept orders flowing. * M&G: M&G MNG.L posted net inflows of 600 million pounds ($815.64 million) from its open business in the first quarter, swinging from net outflows a year earlier. * BP: The U.S. extended a licence for BP BP.L to use a workaround to handle payments involving sanctioned Iranian and Russian partners in a major gas project in Azerbaijan, Bloomberg News reported. * INTERTEK: Britain's Intertek ITRK.L is slated to reject EQT's EQTAB.ST sweetened 58-pound-per-share offer, the Financial Times reported. * CONSTRUCTION SECTOR: Activity in Britain's construction sector shrank at the strongest pace in almost six years in the three months to March, according to a survey on Thursday. * PRIVATE SECTOR PAY: Median annual pay settlements offered by British private sector employers held steady in March, according to a survey. * EX-DIVS: Glencore GLEN.L, Relx REL.L, and Admiral Group ADML.L will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend payout on Thursday. * COMMODITIES: Oil prices rose over $1, gold prices rose for a third consecutive session, while London copper prices edged lower. * 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 Roshni Srivastava in Bengaluru) ((roshni.srivastava@thomsonreuters.com))