UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Feb 20

Kitco Media
By Reuters
Published:
Updated:
Reuters
(Adds news item, updates futures) Feb 20 - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening higher on Monday with futures up 0.36%.
* DARKTRACE: British cyber security company Darktrace said it had commissioned a third-party review of its financial processes by E&Y as a sign of confidence in its results.
* STANDARD CHARTERED: BlackRock said on Friday it would join a new sovereign debt roundtable set up to accelerate progress on stalled relief efforts for distressed countries, with Britain's Standard Chartered also joining, according to sources.
* BALFOUR BEATTY: More than 100 engineering workers at Balfour Beatty will stage three 48-hour strikes in March, British trade union RMT said on Saturday.
* TESCO: Tesco Plc is planning to review its presence in the UK banking sector in a move that could lead to a sale of its banking arm, Sky News reported on Saturday.
* REAL ESTATE: Average asking prices for British residential property rose by just 14 pounds in February from January, data from property website Rightmove showed on Monday.


* STRIKES: Britain's University and College Union said on Friday it was pausing strike action for the next two weeks to allow negotiations to continue.
* OIL: Oil prices rose amid optimism over China's demand recovery, concerns that underinvestment will crimp future oil supply and as major producers keep output limits in place.
* GOLD: Gold prices were stuck in a tight range as bets of more interest rate hikes from the U.S. Federal Reserve dimmed the outlook for non-yielding bullion.
* METALS: London copper prices slipped as a firmer U.S. dollar made greenback-priced metals more expensive to holders of other currencies.
* 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)

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