* ABF: Primark-owner Associated British Foods reported a 3% fall in first-half profit and kept its guidance
for a flat outcome in the full year, staying cautious about the
resilience of consumer spending.
* Travis Perkins : Travis Perkins , said it was on
track to meet market forecasts for 2023 despite a challenging
start to the year as fewer new homes are built and homeowners
put off renovation work.
* Whitbread: Premier Inn owner Whitbread reported
its annual profit above pre-pandemic levels, beating
expectations, buoyed by strong demand for accommodation and
leisure travel in the wake of holiday periods devoid of COVID-19
restrictions.
* Jupiter Fund: Jupiter Fund Management reported a
slight increase in its assets under management for the first
quarter, as the British firm benefited from positive market
returns and net inflows from institutional clients.
* Anglo American: Anglo American's overall
first-quarter production rose 9%, helped by strong copper output
from the ramp-up of its Quellaveco mine in Peru and improvement
in its steelmaking coal operations.
* BUDGET: Britain recorded a bigger-than-expected budget
deficit of 21.53 billion pounds ($26.87 billion) in March,
official data showed, capping off the fourth-highest borrowing
for a financial year since records started in 1946.
* OIL: Oil prices were steady as investors weighed strong
holiday travel in China that could boost fuel demand against the
prospect of rising interest rates elsewhere.
* GOLD: Gold prices ticked higher after dollar retreated as
cautious investors awaited further U.S. economic data due this
week to gauge the Federal Reserve's next policy move
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines (Reporting by Sinchita Mitra in Bengaluru)
