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

Safestyle UK

23/09/2021 07:54

(Adds futures, news items)
    Sept 23 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100  .FTSE  index is seen
opening 19 points higher on Thursday, with futures  .FFIc1 
marginally up 0.65%.
    
    * MITCHELLS & BUTLERS: Britain's Mitchells & Butlers Plc
 MAB.L  said sales over the past two months have been above
pre-pandemic levels.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2QP104
    * ROYAL MAIL: Royal Mail Plc  RMG.L  forecast a surge in
first-half operating profit, despite warning on higher costs.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2QP10M
    * ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca Plc  AZN.L  struck a deal with
the firm behind Imperial College London's experimental COVID-19
vaccine to develop and sell drugs based on its self-amplifying
RNA technology platform in other disease areas.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2QO4JM
    * AUGEAN: Investment manager Ancala Partners outbid Morgan
Stanley Infrastructure in an auction to buy UK-based waste
management firm Augean  AUG.L  for 390 million pounds, Britain's
takeover regulator said on Thursday.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2QP107
    * OFGEM: Britain is having talks with energy regulator Ofgem
about whether a cap on gas and electricity prices for consumers
may have to go up, junior business minister Paul Scully said on
Thursday.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nS8N2OH01Y
    * UK MINISTERS: Britain is trying to solve the shortage of
qualified HGV drivers by encouraging former truckers back into
the market and speeding up the testing system, because changing
visa rules to attract international workers is no panacea, a
business minister said.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nS8N2OH01Z
    * GOLD: Gold prices dipped as the dollar strengthened after
the U.S. Federal Reserve signalled a withdrawal of its asset
purchases by next year and a sooner-than-expected interest rate
hike, dimming the appeal of the non-yielding bullion.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2QP032
    * OIL: Oil prices extended gains, riding higher on growing
fuel demand and a bigger-than-expected draw in U.S. crude
inventories as production remains hampered in Gulf of Mexico.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2QP05S
    * London's FTSE 100 recorded its best day in two months on
Wednesday.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2QO1RP
    
    * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please
click on:  LIVE/     
    TODAY'S UK PAPERS
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 (Reporting By Geetha Panchaksharam)
 ((geetha.panchaksharam@thomsonreuters.com))