UK Stocks-Factors to watch on June 29 (updated)
UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on June 29 Adds items and updates futures
June 29 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index opened flat on Monday.
* BT GROUP: BT BT.L and Verizon VZ.N announced a deal to combine their international enterprise operations into a 50:50 joint venture.
* BRIDGEPOINT: UK-based private equity firm Bridgepoint BPTB.L will acquire Kayne Anderson Real Estate in a deal valued at about $1.39 billion.
* PLUS500: Plus500 PLUSP.L launched sports event-based contracts in the United States.
* HALEON: Consumer health company Haleon HLN.L bid for U.S. supplements firm Thorne, sources said, at a time when Haleon has been hoping to expand in the roughly $70 billion U.S. supplements market.
* COMPANIES GROWTH: British companies' expectations for growth in the coming quarter fell in June to their lowest level this year, according to a survey on Monday that added to a run of downbeat business sentiment readings.
* POLITICS: Andy Burnham, the Labour lawmaker expected to replace Keir Starmer as British prime minister, will outline his vision for Britain on Monday, his office said.
* DEFENCE: Britain will scrap plans to replace its ageing destroyers and will instead procure at least six "Common Combat Vessels" to serve as control hubs for uncrewed systems, the Ministry of Defence said on Sunday.
* COMMODITIES: Oil prices rose on Monday, while gold prices eased and copper gained after Iran and the United States agreed to halt tit-for-tat attacks and return to diplomacy.
* FTSE: London's FTSE indexes closed lower on Friday, weighed by declines in energy stocks and heavyweight banks, while uncertainty around AI-related shares dampened global market sentiment.
* 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 Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; Editing by Ronojoy Mazumdar)
((Pushkala.A@thomsonreuters.com; X and LinkedIn: @pullthekart;))