UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Oct. 2 (updated)

Musicmagpie

02/10/2024 07:52

(Adds new items, updates futures)
       Oct 2 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100  .FTSE  index is
seen opening higher, with futures  FFIc1  up 0.2%.    
    
    * JD SPORTS: British sportswear retailer JD Sports Fashion
 JD.L  beat a consensus forecast for first-half profit and said
it was on track to meet annual guidance, showing its multi-brand
strategy working at a time when Nike is struggling.
    * SAGA: British holiday group Saga  SAGA.L  said that it is
in talks with Belgian insurer Ageas  AGES.BR  for a potential
partnership for its insurance business.
    * AO WORLD: UK online electricals retailer AO World  AO.L   
said it would buy the retailer of used smartphones and
electronic products musicMagpie  MMAG.L  for about 10 million
pounds ($13.3 million) to boost its mobile and consumer tech
businesses.
    * BARCLAYS: Barclays Bank PLC has agreed to pay $4 million
to settle civil charges that it violated U.S. law and Commodity
Futures Trading Commission regulations requiring accurate and
timely reporting of swap transactions, the CFTC said in a
statement.  
    * OIL: Oil prices jumped by over a dollar on Wednesday due
to rising concerns Middle East tensions could escalate,
potentially disrupting crude output from the region, following
Iran's biggest ever military blow against Israel.
    * METALS: Copper prices gained on Wednesday as China's
stimulus measures brightened demand prospects, while rising oil
prices due to the escalating Middle East conflict also lent
support to the market.
    * GOLD: Gold prices were flat, as a firmer dollar partially
offset safe-heaven demand amid heightened Middle East tensions,
while investors awaited U.S. data for further economic cues.
     
  
    * 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 

 (Reporting by Yamini Kalia and DhanushVignesh Babu in
Bengaluru)
 ((Yamini.Kalia@thomsonreuters.com;))