UK Stocks-Factors to watch on August 14 (updated)
14/08/2025 07:48
Adds company news, updates futures Aug 14 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening higher on Thursday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.1%. * CENTRICA: British Gas owner Centrica CNA.L said it will be jointly buying National Grid's NG.L Grain LNG terminal with U.S.-based infrastructure investor Energy Capital Partners for an enterprise value of about 1.5 billion pounds ($2.04 billion). * EMPIRIC STUDENT PROPERTY: British real estate investment trust Empiric Student Property ESP.L agreed to student accommodation developer Unite Group's UTG.L 634 million pound ($860.59 million) take over proposal, the companies said. * ANTOFAGASTA: Chilean miner Antofagasta ANTO.L posted a nearly 60% increase in half-year core earnings. * DIPLOMA: British technical products and service distributor Diploma PLC DPLM.L said that finance chief Chris Davies has stepped down over personal conduct issues and the company named Wilson Ng as its acting group chief financial officer. * AVIVA: British insurer Aviva AV.L raised its interim dividend after reporting a 22% jump in half-year operating profit. * ADMIRAL GROUP: British insurer Admiral Group ADML.L reported a 67% jump in half-year pretax profit. * ECONOMY: Britain's economy grew by a faster-than-expected 0.3% in the second quarter of 2025 after growth of 0.7% in the first three months of the year. * COMMODITIES: Oil prices climbed, copper prices were range-bound, and gold extended gains to a third straight session on Thursday. * EX-DIVS: HSBC HSBA.L, BP BP.L, London Stock Exchange Group LSEG.L, Haleon HLN.L, Fresnillo FRES.L, Melrose Industries MRON.L, Rentokil RTO.L, Pearson PSON.L, IMI IMI.L, Hiscox HSX.L, and Hikma Pharmaceuticals HIK.L will trade without entitlement to the latest dividend pay-out on Thursday. * 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 Nithyashree R B in Bengaluru) ((NithyashreeRB@thomsonreuters.com;))