UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Dec 23 (updated)

Petrofac

23/12/2024 07:44

(Adds new items, updates futures)
       Dec 23 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100  .FTSE  index is
seen opening lower on Monday, with futures  FFIc1  down 0.16%.
    
    * AVIVA/DIRECT LINE: British insurer Aviva  AV.L  has
reached an agreement to buy smaller rival Direct Line  DLGD.L  
in a 3.7 billion pound ($4.65 billion) cash-and-stock deal, the
companies said, creating the UK's largest home and motor
insurer.
    * UK ECONOMY: British economic output failed to grow in the
third quarter, official figures showed, adding to the signs of a
slowdown at the start of the government of British Prime
Minister Keir Starmer.
    * DAZN: News Corp has agreed to sell its Australian cable TV
unit Foxtel to British-owned sports network DAZN for A$3.4
billion ($2.13 billion) including debt, cutting the
Murdoch-controlled media empire's exposure to a business
up-ended by streaming platforms.
    * PETROFAC: Oilfield services provider Petrofac  PFC.L  said
on Sunday that it has entered into a binding agreement with key
financial creditors on the terms of a comprehensive
restructuring.
    * VODAFONE: Swisscom's  SCMN.S  planned acquisition of
Vodafone Italia  VOD.L  has been cleared by Italy's competition
watchdog and its industry ministry, the Swiss telecoms group
said.
    * THAMES WATER: Britain's Thames Water said on Friday it was
proposing, as a precautionary measure, to waive potential
defaults that might arise from a group of Class B creditors
seeking a parallel restructuring plan.
    * GOLD: Spot gold edged higher, supported by short covering
after a weekly loss on Friday due to the Federal Reserve's
cautious stance on rate cuts in the upcoming year.
    * OIL: Oil prices inched higher, along with other risk
assets, after U.S. data showed cooling inflation.

    
    * 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 = 0.7960 pounds)

($1 = 1.5987 Australian dollars)

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