* CENTRICA: Centrica said it was extending its share buyback programme by 300 million pounds after its annual profit more than tripled.
* SSP: SSP Group Plc said sales for the first four months of its fiscal year rose 103%, topping pre-pandemic levels.
* HOME REIT: Britain's Home REIT , which has been under scrutiny over the last few months after a short-seller report by Viceroy Research, said it got an unsolicited approach from Bluestar Group Ltd on a possible acquisition offer for the housing provider.
* RESTAURANT GROUP: The Restaurant Group's shareholder Oasis Management went public with its call for the owner of the Wagamama restaurant chain to "re-align its priorities" and to take immediate steps to restore market confidence.
* RELX: Relx reported a better-than-expected 10% rise in full-year adjusted earnings per share to 102.2 pence.
* STANDARD CHARTERED: Standard Chartered raised a key performance metric and announced a new $1 billion share buyback after posting a 28% rise in annual pretax profit as global interest rate hikes boosted its lending revenue. The Asia, Middle East and Africa-focused bank also boosted its annual bonus pool by 16% to $1.59 bln.
* ENDEAVOUR: Endeavour Mining has sold 200 kilograms of gold from
its Mana mine in Burkina Faso to the West African country's government, the
company told Reuters.
* OIL: Oil prices rose as hopes of a robust fuel demand recovery in top oil
consumer China offset losses arising from strength in the greenback and a large
build in U.S. crude inventory.
* GOLD: Gold prices regained some ground as the U.S. dollar pulled back.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times > Other business headlines (Reporting by Prerna Bedi in Bengaluru)
