UK Stocks-Factors to watch on May 12

International Workplace

12/05/2026 06:03

May 12 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower on Tuesday, with futures FFIc1 down 0.5%.

* INTERTEK: Activist investor PrimeStone Capital urged Intertek's ITRK.L board to "engage constructively" with EQT EQTAB.ST, after it rejected a third sweetened takeover proposal from the private equity firm.

* BAT: A U.S. judge dismissed the government's criminal case accusing British American Tobacco BATS.L of conspiring to violate American sanctions by selling cigarettes to North Korea, after the company complied with a three-year deferred prosecution agreement.

* SPENDING: British consumers cut their spending last month for the first time since November 2024 as they focused on essentials rather than leisure, a survey showed.

* OIL: Oil prices rose nearly 1% as talks to end the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran appeared fragile.

* METALS: Shanghai copper logged its biggest daily gain in months on supply concerns and expectations of higher demand from China.

* GOLD: Gold prices were largely steady, as markets weighed the developments in the Middle East conflict and interest rate expectations.

* FTSE: The UK's blue-chip FTSE 100 rose on Monday as mining shares jumped and Airtel Africa AAF.L hit a record, helping the index defy escalating risk-off sentiment across global markets.

* UK CORPORATE DIARY:

Imperial Brands
IMB.L
HY results
Vodafone Group
VOD.L
FY results
Greggs
GRG.L
Trading statement
On the Beach
OTB.L
HY results
Marston's
MARS.L
HY results
Wickes Group
WIX.L
Spring trading update
IWG
IWG.L
Q1 trading update
IMI
IMI.L
Q1 trading statement

* 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))