UK Stocks-Factors to watch on July 3

Reckitt Benckiser

03/07/2026 05:52

    July 3 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening higher on Friday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.3%. 
* RECKITT: A jury in St. Louis rejected claims that Reckitt RKT.L unit Mead Johnson's specialized formula for preterm babies was to blame for causing an infant's dangerous bowel disease.
* FINANCE MINISTER: Andy Burnham said he had not yet decided who would serve as his finance minister in any future government.
* DEFENCE: Andy Burnham said he would take responsibility for fully funding Britain's defence spending plans.
* INTEREST RATES: Bank of England policymaker Catherine Mann said that a reduction in markets' expectations for BoE rate increases since June's Monetary Policy Committee meeting would be a key factor for her decision on rates at the end of this month.
* INFRASTRUCTURE: Britain said it would remove a mandatory pre-application consultation requirement for major infrastructure projects later this month.
*  SOCIAL MEDIA: Britain's culture minister Lisa Nandy said she had decided to leave Elon Musk's social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
* OIL: Oil prices rose slightly before a long holiday weekend in the U.S. as wary optimism held over efforts to make peace in the Middle East.
* GOLD: Gold rose more than 1% and was headed for its first weekly gain in five, as investors dialled back expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes following softer-than-expected U.S. jobs data.
* METALS: Aluminium prices rose, supported by a weaker dollar and easing concerns over an imminent U.S. interest rate hike.
* The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed up 1.7% on Thursday as a softer-than-expected U.S. jobs report calmed jitters about potential interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

     
  
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: LIVE/
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 (Compiled by Anushka Chourasia in Bengaluru)
 ((Anushka.Chourasia@thomsonreuters.com))