* RESTAURANT GROUP: The Restaurant Group has become a target of
activist investor Irenic Capital Management, which is pushing for a change at
the Wagamama and Frankie & Benny's owner, Bloomberg News reported, citing people
familiar with the matter.
* STRIKES: British trade union the RMT said it had suspended all strike
action on Network Rail following a new offer from the employer, after a
long-running pay dispute led to months of disruptive transport strikes.
* SURVEY: Britain's labour market showed further signs of cooling as
permanent job placements fell for the fifth month in a row in February and pay
growth slowed, reflecting employers' concerns about the economy, a survey
showed.
* OIL: Oil prices steadied in early Asian trade as industry data showed a
draw in U.S. crude oil inventories.
* GOLD: Gold prices slipped to a one-week low after U.S. Federal Reserve
Chair Jerome Powell said interest rates might need to go higher than previously
expected to curb inflationary pressures.
* METALS: Copper prices in London were listless as hawkish comments from the
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair offset support from improving demand in China.
* FTSE: Britain's FTSE 100 closed down on Tuesday after hawkish comments
from U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell spurred risk-off moves globally,
but weakness in the pound limited losses in the exporter-heavy index.
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Quilter Plc FY Results Tullow Oil FY Results Legal & General Group FY Results Admiral Group FY Results Hiscox Ltd FY Results Bakkavor Group FY Results SIG Plc FY Results CLS Holdings FY Results Galliford Try Holdings FY Results
* 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)
