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

Xxl AS

21/02/2025 07:54

(Adds new items, updates futures)
       Feb 21 - Britain's FTSE 100  .FTSE  index is seen
opening lower on Friday, with futures  FFIc1  down 0.05%.

    * CMA: UK's competition regulator has fined four global
banks, Citi  C.N , HSBC  HSBA.L , Morgan Stanley  MS.N , and
Royal Bank of Canada  RY.TO  104.5 million pounds ($132.4
million) for exchanging sensitive information about UK
government bonds between 2009 and 2013.
    * RETAIL: British retail sales rose by a much higher than
expected 1.7% in January, figures from the Office for National
Statistics showed.
    * BUDGET: Britain's government ran a budget surplus of 15.4
billion pounds last month, official figures showed.
    * BOE: British consumers turned a little less pessimistic
this month as the Bank of England's latest interest rate cut led
to an improvement in expectations for their household finances,
according to a survey.
    * STANDARD CHARTERED: Standard Chartered  STAN.L  announced
a $1.5 billion share buyback and a higher earnings target, after
reporting its annual profit rose 18%.
    * ABRDN: Abrdn  ABDN.L  is in advanced talks with Citic Bank
 601998.SS  to launch an asset management joint venture in
China, two people with knowledge of the matter said.
    * LABOUR: The number of job postings in the United Kingdom
rose for the first time in seven months in January, a survey by
the Recruitment & Employment Confederation showed.
    * ELECTRICITY: Britain's electricity distribution network is
facing a fundamental role change to deliver the country's net
zero emissions target, requiring more proactive investments, a
report from a government-appointed commission found.
    * OIL: Oil prices extended gains, headed for a weekly
increase. 
    * GOLD: Gold prices remained steady on Friday.
    * METAL: London copper eased on Friday.
    
    * 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 


($1 = 0.7890 pounds)

 (Compiled by Simone Lobo in Bengaluru)
 ((Simone.Lobo@thomsonreuters.com; +919920570373;))