UK Stocks-Factors to watch on February 28 (updated)
28/02/2025 07:54
Updates futures, adds new items Feb 28 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower on Friday, with futures FFIc1 down 0.74%. * BoE: Bank of England Deputy Governor Dave Ramsden said that he saw risks to the BoE's inflation target as two-sided, rather than skewed downwards as before, though he noted that BoE rate cuts did not necessarily need to be slow. * IAG: British Airways owner IAG ICAG.L launched a 1 billion euro ($1.04 billion) share buyback plan after it reported a 27% jump in annual operating profit, beating market expectations. * ABRDN: Abrdn ABDN.L said it has hired a finance chief from NatWest's private bank Coutts, as CEO Jason Windsor builds out an executive team to try to lead a turnaround of the British fund manager. * PEARSON: British education company Pearson PSON.L reported a 10% rise in full-year adjusted operating profit to 600 million pounds ($754.86 million), the top of its expectations, and said it would deliver more growth in 2025. * RIGHTMOVE: Britain's biggest property portal Rightmove forecast an 8%-10% growth in 2025 revenue , bigger than last year's rise, bolstered by rate cuts that are supporting mortgages and driving traffic to its website for enquiries. * HOUSE PRICES: British house prices rose by a stronger-than-expected 0.4% in February compared with January, according to data published by mortgage lender Nationwide, adding to signs of buyers rushing to beat the expiry of a tax break next month. * COMMODITIES: Oil eased on Friday and gold prices were set to post their biggest weekly drop since November, while London copper prices hit a more than two week low. * 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 ($1 = 0.7948 pounds) ($1 = 0.9622 euros) (Compiled by Simone Lobo and Radhika Anilkumar in Bengaluru) ((Simone.Lobo@thomsonreuters.com; +919920570373;))