UK Stocks-Factors to watch on March 21 (updated)

Virgin Money UK

21/03/2024 07:46

(Adds news items, updates futures)
       March 21 - Britain's FTSE 100  .FTSE  index is seen
opening higher on Thursday, with futures  FFIc1  up 0.88%.
    
    * BUDGET DEFICIT: Britain posted a larger budget deficit
than expected in February, official data showed.
    * NEXT PLC: Next  NXT.L  kept its guidance for sales and
profit in the current year after reporting a slightly
better-than-expected 5% rise in 2023-24 profit.
    * M&G: M&G  MNG.L  reported profit ahead of analyst
forecasts for 2023, as the company looks to cash in on a boom in
demand for pension insurance.
        * DOWLAIS: Dowlais Group  DWL.L  forecasted current-year
revenue to be 
    similar
     to 2023 levels, citing a slight decline expected in global
light vehicle production and its current order book.
  
        * VIRGIN MONEY: Directors at Nationwide Building Society
and Virgin Money  VMUK.L  said they would "unanimously" 
    recommend
     the proposed deal to independent Virgin Money shareholders.
  
        * DIRECT LINE: Direct Line  DLGD.L  posted a 189.6
million pound operating loss for 2023 but said it would 
    reinstate
     its dividend.
  
        * ENERGEAN: Energean  ENOG.L  said its profits 
    grew
     significantly in 2023.
  
    * BARCLAYS: Barclays  BARC.L  is preparing to axe hundreds
of jobs across its investment bank, two sources familiar with
the matter told Reuters.
    * SHELL: Shell  SHEL.L  sold its 50% stake in SouthCoast
Wind Energy, established to develop wind projects off the coast
of Massachusetts, to its joint venture partner Ocean Winds North
America.
    * GSK: GSK  GSK.L  said it would cap out-of-pocket costs for
all its inhaled asthma and chronic lung disease medicines at $35
per month for eligible patients in the U.S.  
    * EASYJET: EasyJet  EZJ.L  is in talks with the European
Commission about taking over slots at Milan's Linate airport,
the CEO said.
    * EX-DIVS: British American Tobacco  BATS.L , Pearson
 PSON.L  Beazley  BEZG.L , Hikma Pharmaceuticals  HIK.L  and
Schroders  SDR.L  will trade without entitlement to their latest
dividend pay-outs on Thursday.

        
  
        
  
    * 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 

 (Reporting by Prerna Bedi in Bengaluru)
 ((Prerna.Bedi@thomsonreuters.com; +91 98052 24616;))