UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Sept 8 (updated)

ICU Medical

08/09/2021 07:49

(Updates futures, adds news items)
    Sept 8 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100  .FTSE  index is seen
opening steady on Wednesday, with futures  .FFIc1  down 0.38%.
    
    * SMITHS GROUP: British industrial technology company Smiths
Group  SMIN.L  agreed to sell its medical unit to U.S.-based ICU
Medical Inc  ICUI.O  for $2.4 billion and withdrew its backing
for the deal with private equity firm TA Associates.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2QA1BC
    * MORRISONS: British supermarket group Morrisons  MRW.L 
said it was in talks with its two U.S. private equity suitors
and the Takeover Panel, which governs deals in the UK, regarding
an auction procedure to settle its future ownership.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nASN001MS4
    * HALFORDS: British bikes and car parts retailer Halfords
 HFD.L  said disruption in the global supply chain was dragging
on its cycling business, although it stuck to its full-year
profit target.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nFWN2Q91D1
    * BP: BP PLC  BP.L  is in the process of restarting its Gulf
of Mexico operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, the
company said on Tuesday, adding that repairs were underway at
its onshore assets in Houma and Port Fourchon.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2QA05A
    * BHP: BHP Group  BHP.AX  will team up with
billionaire-backed AI exploration firm KoBold Metals to look for
battery minerals like copper and nickel in Australia and other
global locations, the companies said on Wednesday.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2Q907L
    * TAX: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out plans on
Tuesday to raise taxes on workers, employers and some investors
to try to fix a health and social care funding crisis, angering
some in his governing party by breaking election promises.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2Q90B2
    * ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca Plc  AZN.L  Chief Executive
Pascal Soriot said booster COVID vaccine doses may not be needed
for everyone in Britain and rushing into a nationwide rollout of
third doses risks piling extra pressure on the National Health
Service (NHS), the Telegraph reported on Tuesday.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nFWN2Q91BJ
    * MARSHMALLOW: Digital motor insurer Marshmallow has raised
$85 million from investors, valuing it at more than $1.25
billion and making it the first British Black-founded unicorn,
the company said on Wednesday.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2Q823N
    * GOLD: Gold prices recovered from a 1.6% drop in the
previous session to approach the key psychological level of
$1,800 on Wednesday as the dollar rally paused.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2QA03I
    * OIL: Oil prices rose, paring overnight losses, with
producers in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico struggling to restart
operations nine days after Hurricane Ida swept through.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2QA02U
    * London's FTSE 100 index ended lower on Tuesday, weighed
down by healthcare stocks and brokerages, while DS Smith
 SMDS.L  jumped to the top of the index after an upbeat trading
update.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2Q91T5
    
    * UK CORPORATE DIARY:   
 Dunelm       DNLM.L    FY results
 Biffa        BIFF.L    Trading update
 
    * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please
click on:  LIVE/     
    TODAY'S UK PAPERS
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    > Other business headlines              PRESS/GB 

 (Reporting By Geetha Panchaksharam)
 ((geetha.panchaksharam@thomsonreuters.com))