UK Stocks-Factors to watch on August 19 (updated)

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19/08/2026 07:46

Adds news items, updates futures
Aug 19 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower on Wednesday, with futures FFIc1 down 0.1%.
* ITHACA ENERGY: Ithaca Energy ITH.L raised its 2026 dividend forecast, buoyed by robust cash generation and growth in half-year production.
 *  TRAINLINE: UK competition regulator has launched a probe into how rail and coach ticketing operator Trainline TRNT.L and British airline Virgin Atlantic show their total pricing when customers book tickets, in a bid to ease rising costs of living.
* INFLATION: British inflation rose last month as expected to reach its highest rate since March, pushed higher by an increase in household energy bills after a 13% rise in a price cap set by regulator Ofgem.
* RIO TINTO: McEwen Copper is in talks with Rio Tinto RIO.L as it seeks a total of $4 billion in financing, Bloomberg News reported.
* QUANTEXA: British artificial intelligence company Quantexa is considering a multibillion-dollar stock market listing in Britain or the United States.
* PAY: Pay settlements by British employers inched down in the three months to June to a 10-month low, adding to signs of a softening labour market.
* OIL: Oil prices climbed for a fourth straight day as investors weighed conflicting messages from Tehran and Washington on whether the Strait of Hormuz is open to ships.
* GOLD: Gold traded flat after pulling back in the previous session, with investors awaiting minutes of the U.S. Federal Reserve's July meeting for fresh clues on its monetary policy outlook.
* METALS: Copper prices dipped, with a big jump in warehouse stocks pushing supply fears that have supported prices into the background.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: LIVE/
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
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> Other business headlines PRESS/GB

 (Compiled by Neeshita Beura and Megha Kumari in Bengaluru)
 ((Neeshita.Beura@thomsonreuters.com))