UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Feb 16
16/02/2026 05:11
Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening up on Monday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.3%. * PINEWOOD: Private equity firm Apax Partners withdrew its offer for British automotive service provider Pinewood Technologies PINE.L on Friday, citing prevailing challenging market conditions. * HIRING: More than one in three UK employers plan to cut their hiring of permanent staff due to costs introduced by the government's labour law reforms, a survey showed on Monday. * EMPLOYMENT: A sharp rise in Britain's minimum wage for younger workers over the past three years has contributed to an increase in unemployment for that age group, Bank of England policymaker Catherine Mann said in a newspaper interview on Sunday. * HOME PRICES: Asking prices for British homes held steady in the four weeks to February 7 after a post-budget relief rally over the Christmas and New Year period, property website Rightmove said on Monday. * GOLD: Gold prices dropped on Monday, pressured by thin trading volumes as U.S. and China markets remained shut due to local public holidays, while some traders booked profits after last session's 2.5% jump. * ALUMINIUM: Aluminium prices sank to a one-week low on Friday after a report the U.S. may trim some import tariffs, though they pared losses after investors decided any impact would be modest. *OIL: Oil prices traded sideways on Monday ahead of talks between Washington and Tehran, with concerns about Iran-U.S. tensions disrupting oil flows keeping a floor under prices, while OPEC+ leans in favour of resuming output hikes from April. *UK'S FTSE 100: Britain's FTSE 100 locked in a third straight week of gains on Friday, as corporate takeovers and expectations of monetary policy easing helped counter global concerns about AI's disruptive potential on a swathe of industries. * 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 Tuhina in Bengaluru) ((tuhina@thomsonreuters.com))