UK Stocks-Factors to watch on September 25
25/09/2025 06:17
Sept 25 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower on Thursday, with futures FFIc1 down 0.23%. * SSP GROUP: Activist hedge fund Irenic Capital Management is trying to drum up interest in a take-private deal for Upper Crust owner SSP Group SSPG.L after boosting its stake in the food-to-go operator, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. * HSBC: HSBC 0005.HK has agreed to sell its retail banking operations in Sri Lanka to local peer Nations Trust Bank, the lender said late on Wednesday. The London-headquartered lender HSBA.L said its corporate and institutional banking business in Sri Lanka is not impacted by this decision. * SMMT DATA: Britain’s vehicle production dropped 18.2% in August to 38,693 units, industry data showed on Thursday, with attention now on how a cyber attack that has shut Jaguar Land Rover’s plants will hit September production. * HSBC: Europe's biggest bank HSBC HSBA.L said on Thursday that a trial use of quantum computers to aid bond trading had produced promising results, in a rare example of a major finance company finding early benefits from the emerging technology. * COMMODITIES: Oil prices eased in Asian trade on Thursday, retreating from a seven-week high reached in the prior session, gold prices held steady with a slightly weaker dollar lending some support, and Shanghai copper touched a six-month high. * EX-DIVS: Phoenix Group Holdings PHNX.L and Rightmove PLC RMV.L will trade without entitlement to its latest dividend pay-out. * FTSE: The UK blue-chip index .FTSE reversed earlier losses to gain 0.3% on Wednesday, led by miners and defence stocks, while investors assessed corporate updates and measured comments by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. * UK CORPORATE DIARY:
| Petershill Partners | PHLL.L | HY results |
| Co-Operative Group | 42TE.L | HY results |
| IG Group | IGG.L | Q1 trading update |
| DFS Furniture | DFSD.L | FY results |
| Mitchells & Butlers | MAB.L | FY trading update |