UK Stocks-Factors to watch on April 16 (updated)
16/04/2026 07:59
Adds new items, updates futures April 16 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower on Thursday, with futures FFIc1 down 0.1%. * TESCO: Tesco TSCO.L said uncertainty about the economic impact of the Middle East conflict on consumers clouded its outlook, and, in the worst case, could result in profit falling this year. * SCHRODERS: Schroders SDR.L posted net outflows of 1.1 billion pounds in the first quarter. * DUNELM: Dunelm DNLM.L forecast annual profits at the lower end of market expectations. * HAYS: Hays HAYS.L reported an 8% fall in third-quarter net fees, hurt by continued weak hiring demand in Germany. * ASHMORE: Ashmore ASHM.L reported net outflows of $900 million for the third quarter of its fiscal year. * EASYJET: EasyJet EZJ.L forecast a headline pre-tax loss of 540 million-560 million pounds for first half. * Rentokil: Rentokil Initial RTO.L reported first-quarter organic revenue growth of 3.4% and said it was confident of delivering a full-year performance in line with market view. * RIO TINTO: Rio Tinto RIO.L, RIO.AX and Hancock Prospecting, owned by Australia's richest person Gina Rinehart, must pay what could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties from iron ore mines to her father's former business partners, a court ruled. * CENTRICA: Spirit Energy, owned by Centrica CNA.L, plans to cut 100 jobs and restructure its UK business. * ECONOMY: Britain's economy surged unexpectedly in February, suggesting it was in slightly better shape before the start of the Iran war than many economists had feared, official figures showed. * AUTOS: The UK's automotive industry group SMMT said carmakers need clarity now on whether Britain will count as 'Made in EU' in the European Commission's Industrial Accelerator Act policy, as the ambiguity risks delaying investments. * ENERGY BILLS: Britain will expand by 40% a scheme to cut electricity bills for energy-intensive companies from next year and give firms backdated payments. * BANKS: Katharine Braddick, the incoming head of the Bank of England's prudential arm, said she would not push for further changes to Britain’s bank ring‑fencing rules. * COMMODITIES: Oil prices were little changed, copper prices extended gains, and gold prices rose. * EX-DIVS: LSEG LSEG.L, Antofagasta ANTO.L, Diageo DGE.L, and Games Workshop GAW.L will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend payout 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 Neeshita Beura in Bengaluru) ((Neeshita.Beura@thomsonreuters.com))