* HSBC: HSBC Holdings reported a 212% increase in
quarterly profit on Tuesday, as it benefited from rising
interest rates around the world.
* RETAILERS: Food prices at British supermarkets rose 15.7%
in the year to April, the biggest annual increase in records
going back to 2005.
* BOE: Inflation expectations in Britain eased in April,
offering some relief to the Bank of England which is expected to
announce a 12th straight interest rate hike next week with
investors betting on further increases after that.
* OIL: Oil prices held steady during Asian trade on Tuesday
amid mixed data from China, and as the market weighed forecasts
of declining crude stockpiles with expectations of a U.S.
interest rate hike.
* GOLD: Gold prices were flat on Tuesday, as cautious market
participants awaited fresh cues from top central banks on their
monetary policy plans, especially from the U.S. Federal Reserve.
* London's FTSE 100 ended Friday on firmer ground, boosted
by gains in energy stocks, but lender Natwest held back further
advances after reporting a steep drop in first-quarter deposits.
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
BP Q1 results
Boohoo Earnings release
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines (Reporting by Muhammed Husain in Bengaluru)
