UK Stocks-Factors to watch on October 20 (updated)
UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on October 20 Adds new items, updates FTSE 100 moves
Oct 20 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index opened 0.23% lower on Tuesday.
* GULF KEYSTONE PETROLEUM: Gulf Keystone Petroleum GKP.L said it will merge with Norway's ShaMaran Petroleum SNMS.OL in a $601 million all-share deal.
* ANGLO AMERICAN: Anglo American AAL.L posted a 5% drop in copper production in the third quarter on severe weather conditions in Chile, but maintained its 2026 guidance for the transition metal and raised its outlook for diamond production for the year.
* ITHACA ENERGY: Ithaca Energy ITH.L will likely halt further investment in Britain if the government does not approve its Rosebank oilfield in the North Sea, chair Yaniv Friedman said in an interview with the Financial Times.
* UNILEVER: Unilever ULVR.L has agreed to sell Welly Health PBC to Forward Consumer Partners, but did not disclose financial terms of the sale.
* BARCLAYS: Barclays BARC.L said its £15 billion private credit exposure was treated in line with accounting and regulatory capital requirements after a report the Bank of England was examining if its traders had understated the risk.
* WAGE: British workers have seen another modest rise in the pace of pay growth and there were other signs of a small recovery in the jobs market, according to data which could bolster the case for a Bank of England interest rate hike next month.
* UK's BUDGET: British finance minister John Healey has rejected calls to raise capital gains tax in his first budget on October 28, opting instead to prioritise economic growth and business investment, the Times reported on Monday.
* COMMODITIES: Oil prices advanced, gold eased, and copper held steady.
* 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 Tuhina and Neeshita Beura in Bengaluru)