UK Stocks-Factors to watch on July 27 (updated)
UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on July 27 Adds news items, updates futures
July 27 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening higher on Monday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.7%.
* ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca AZN.L topped second-quarter profit expectations and backed its 2026 forecasts on demand for its therapies. In a separate release, the company said its rare disease drug Ultomiris failed to meet the primary endpoint in a clinical trial.
* DCC ENERGY: DCC Energy DCC.L agreed to a £5.75 billion ($7.68 billion) takeover by a consortium comprising U.S. private equity firms KKR KKR.N and Energy Capital Partners.
* VODAFONE: Vodafone VOD.L raised its guidance to reflect its Safaricom deal, and said that after a strong start to its new year it expected to deliver at the upper end of its new range.
* IP GROUP: Railpen, the largest shareholder in Britain's IP GroupIPO.L said it does not intend to make an offer for the early-stage science investor.
* FRASERS GROUP: Frasers Group FRAS.L is exploring ways to install its chief executive Michael Murray as the CEO of Hugo Boss BOSSn.DE, The Times reported.
* SERICA ENERGY: Serica Energy SQZ.L said it had agreed to acquire fellow oil and gas producer Pharos Energy PHARP.L in a cash deal valued at about £145.7 million.
* LSEG: London Stock Exchange Group's LSEG.L Lipper unit said it was investigating an unusually large transaction in one investment-grade bond fund that distorted its wider fixed-income fund flow data.
* PINEWOOD TECHNOLOGIES: Ridgeview offered to buy Britain's Pinewood Technologies PINE.L for 448 pence per share, the companies said, valuing the automotive service provider at £545 million.
* COMMODITIES: Oil prices tumbled, gold rose, while copper prices firmed up, supported by easing U.S.-Iran tensions and relief in oil markets.
* 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 Neeshita Beura and Megha Kumari in Bengaluru)