* FEVERTREE: British tonic maker Fevertree Drinks Plc said it plans to
hike product prices and ramp up its U.S. production to help cushion the pressures faced due to the high costs of manufacturing glass.
* VISTRY: UK homebuilder Vistry Group Plc said conditions were
improving in the housing sector, as it reported a 21% rise in annual profit to beat market expectations.
* WPP: UK advertising group WPP said it has agreed to
buy Goat, an influencer marketing specialist.
* PENDRAGON: British automotive retailer Pendragon said
underlying operating profit for first two months to February was
ahead of a year ago.
* INFLATION: British consumer price inflation
unexpectedly rose to 10.4% in February from January's 10.1%, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed.
* PAY: British employers expect pay settlements over 2023 as a whole to
average 5%, down slightly from the 32-year high of 6% recorded during the three
months to the end of February, new industry data showed.
* COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES: Falls in British commercial property values are
expected to slow in the coming months as the economy improves but high inflation
and interest rates will continue to weigh on the sector, an industry survey
showed.
* OIL: Oil fell in Asian trade paring two straight days of gains after an
industry report showed U.S. crude inventories rose unexpectedly last week in a
sign fuel demand may be weakening.
* GOLD: Gold prices traded in a narrow range as some investors stayed on the
sidelines ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate decision and policy
outlook.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines
