UK Stocks-Factors to watch on July 31

Melrose Industries

31/07/2026 06:14

July 31 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening higher on Friday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.5%.
* HSBC: HSBC HSBA.L, 0005.HK is selling its A$36 billion Australian home and personal loan book to global asset manager Blackstone BX.N, in the world's largest-ever home loan portfolio transaction.
* IG GROUP: IG Group IGG.L said it has agreed to acquire U.S. daily fantasy sports and prediction markets operator Underdog for up to $1.3 billion, deepening its push into the fast-growing U.S. retail trading market.
* BUSINESS SENTIMENT: British businesses turned more confident about the economic outlook earlier this month, reflecting a brief fall in energy prices after a ceasefire in the Iran war, a survey by Lloyds showed.   
* COMMODITIES: Oil and gold prices fell, while copper prices firmed. 
* FTSE: London's FTSE 100 closed slightly lower on Thursday after the Bank of England decided to keep interest rates on hold and mixed earnings reports weighed on the blue-chip index.
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
IAG
ICAG.L
Q2 Results
NatWest
NWG.L 
HY Results
Taylor Wimpey
TW.L 
HY Results
Pearson  
PSON.L
HY Results
ITV
ITV.L 
HY Results
Melrose  
MRON.L
HY Results
Spire Healthcare
SPI.L 
HY Results
Intertek 
ITRK.L 
HY Results
Rightmove 
RMV.L 
HY Results
IMI
IMI.L 
HY Results

* 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))