UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Feb 9

Kitco Media
By Reuters
Published:
Updated:
Reuters
(Adds new items and updates futures) Feb 9 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening higher with futures up 0.30% on Thursday.
* ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca posted fourth-quarter revenue just shy of analyst estimates, with slightly lower-than-expected sales of its best-selling oncology and rare blood disorder drugs.
* UNILEVER: Unilever Plc reported quarterly underlying sales growth above expectations, helped by higher prices for its detergents, soaps and packaged food.
* BAT: British American Tobacco said it expects to complete the sale of its Russian business to its local partner in 2023, as it exits Russia — where it controlled almost a quarter of the market before the country invaded Ukraine.
* COMPASS GROUP: Compass Group said its organic revenue rose 24% in the first quarter on new business wins and gradual return-to-office schedules and events, helping the British caterer retain its 2023 outlook despite rising cost pressures.
* BELLWAY: Bellway Plc flagged challenging market conditions and said it would build fewer homes this fiscal year than the last, as a surge in borrowing costs and broader inflationary pressures drive homebuyers away.
* STRIKE: British firefighters halted planned strike action to vote on an improved pay offer, the Fire Brigades Union said.
* SHELL: A group of European institutional investors is backing a novel London lawsuit against Shell's board over alleged climate mismanagement in a case that could have far-reaching implications for how companies tackle emissions.
* UK HOUSING MARKET: Britain's housing market suffered the most widespread price falls since 2009 last month as the run of interest rate increases over the past year weighed on would-be buyers, according to a survey published on Thursday.
* 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)

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