UK Stocks-Factors to watch on May 18 (updated)
18/05/2026 07:52
Adds news items and futures May 18 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower on Monday, with futures FFIc1 down 0.35%. * HAYS: Hays HAYS.L named interim CEO Mark Dearnley as its permanent chief. * ANGLO AMERICAN: Anglo American AAL.L agreed to sell its steelmaking coal mines in Australia for up to $3.88 billion. * ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca's AZN.L hypertension pill baxdrostat had been approved in the United States. * STANDARD CHARTERED: Standard Chartered STAN.L, 2888.HK appointed Manus Costello as permanent CFO. * MAGNUM ICE CREAM: Blackstone and CD&R are among private equity firms in the early stages of exploring bids for Magnum Ice Cream MICCT.AS, two sources told Reuters. * BP: BP BP.L plans to dismantle its pipeline gas trading team, two sources said. * HOUSING: Asking prices for British homes in May rose by more than usual for the time of year, despite uncertainty about the Iran war, and a key mortgage rate eased back, Rightmove said. * FUEL TAX: British finance minister Rachel Reeves plans to announce this week that she will postpone a planned rise in tax on motor fuel that is due to take place in September, the Sun newspaper reported. * BANKS: Britain's government will set out more detailed proposals this week to relax bank regulations that had been designed to stop a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis, Sky News reported. * DEFENCE: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to approve an increase of 18 billion pounds in defence spending as he faces a battle for political survival, The Times reported. * COMMODITIES: Oil prices extended gains, copper tumbled to a one-week low, and gold prices steadied. * 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 in Bengaluru) ((Neeshita.Beura@thomsonreuters.com))