* ASHMORE: Ashmore Group reported a 54% drop in its half-yearly profit before tax as net outflows and subdued investor risk appetite hit its assets under management.
* BARRATT DEVELOPMENTS: Barratt Developments flagged persisting market uncertainty as high mortgage rates weigh on demand and a sharp fall in house prices dent margins.
* BEAZLEY: Beazley named Clive Bannister as its chair-designate, with immediate effect.
* PZ CUSSONS: PZ Cussons said its half-year profit rose 7.8%, as price hikes helped offset the impact of rising input costs.
* GROCERY PRICES: Shoppers around the world will pay even more for groceries this year than they did in 2022, according to retailers, consumer goods firms and investors, unless commodity costs decline or the shift to cheaper store-brand products accelerates.
* ROYAL MAIL: Royal Mail is facing a threat from LockBit, at a time when the British postal and parcel firm is grappling with the fallout of a "cyber incident" from last month.
* UNILEVER: Unilever Plc will build a manufacturing plant in the northern Mexican border state Nuevo Leon as part of a $400 mln investment in the country over the next three years.
* HSBC: Many mortgage borrowers could struggle to manage more expensive home loans this year as the cost of living crisis deepens.
* STRIKE: Civil servants have announced a new date for strike action with 100,000 members across England, Scotland and Wales planning to walk out on March 15, the PCS union said.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines (Reporting by Sruthi Narasimha Chari in Bengaluru)
