UK Stocks-Factors to watch on May 17
May 17 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening down 4
points at 7,730 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.
* ROYAL MAIL: New chief executive of Royal Mail, Rico Back, has been
paid nearly 6 million pounds ($8.13 million) to buy him out of his contract in a
move that could spark fury among former state-owned company's trade unions and
shareholders. http://bit.ly/2ILWaJ6
* MOTHERCARE: Britain's Mothercare Plc will shutter 50 stores in the
UK and bring back Mark Newton-Jones as chief executive as part of a
restructuring plan to be unveiled on Thursday.
* KPMG: KPMG, Deloitte, EY and PwC have drawn up contingency plans for a
break up of their UK businesses, in case regulators force them to spin off their
audit from their consulting businesses, FT reported. https://on.ft.com/2k3DXsM
* BETTING: The maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals in the UK will
be dramatically slashed to just 2 pounds in a major victory for gambling
campaigners. http://bit.ly/2IrYcuK
* GOLD: Gold prices made modest gains on Thursday after touching their
lowest level this year in the previous session, amid geopolitical uncertainty
and a slightly weaker U.S. dollar.
* OIL: Oil prices firmed on Thursday, with Brent crude creeping ever closer
to $80 per barrel, a level it has not seen since November 2014, as supplies
tighten while demand remains strong.
* EX-DIVS: HSBC, Intertek Group, Tesco will trade
without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 6.77
points off the FTSE 100 according to Reuters calculations
* The UK blue chip index closed 11 points higher at 7734.20 on Wednesday, as
mining stocks rallied.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
British Land Company PLC Full Year 2018 Earnings Release
National Grid PLC Full Year 2018 Earnings Release
3i Group PLC Full Year 2018 Earnings Release
Future PLC Half Year 2018 Earnings Release
Investec PLC Full Year 2018 Earnings Release
Euromoney Institutional Investor Half Year 2018 Earnings Release
Grainger PLC Half Year 2018 Earnings Release
Thomas Cook Group plc Half Year 2018 Earnings Release
Royal Mail PLC Full Year 2018 Earnings Release
Just Group PLC Q1 2018 Business Update
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times
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($1 = 0.7382 pounds)
(Reporting by Sangameswaran S in Bengaluru)