* BUSINESS CONFIDENCE: Most British businesses expect their sales to rise over the coming year - an improvement from late 2022 - despite seeing no sales growth over the past three months, the British Chambers of Commerce said.
* DIGITAL TAX: A levy imposed by Britain on the revenues of big tech companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon in 2020 as a stopgap measure pending an international tax agreement risks becoming permanent, a group of tax experts said.
* OIL: Oil prices rose boosted by expectations of U.S. crude inventory declines as well as the latest output cut targets set by the OPEC+ producer alliance.
* GOLD: Gold prices edged higher to touch their highest levels since March 2022 after weak U.S. economic data spurred safe-haven demand and expectations that the Federal Reserve might loosen its monetary policy trajectory.
* METALS: Copper prices edged higher in thin trade as Chinese markets were closed for a holiday, with a soft dollar supporting the metal even as weak U.S. data raised demand concerns.
* FTSE: London's FTSE 100 ended lower, a day after hitting a three-week high, bogged down by a stronger pound and weakness in the shares of oil majors.
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
EnQuest FY Results Topps Tiles Plc HY Trading statement RS Group FY Trading statement Hilton Food Group 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)
