UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Nov. 5
Nov 5 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening higher on Friday, with futures up 0.2%. * BANK OF ENGLAND: The Bank of England kept interest rates on hold on Thursday, wrong-footing investors who had been convinced that it would be the first of the world's big central banks to raise borrowing costs after the COVID-19 pandemic. * ECONOMY: British employers increased their hiring of workers via recruitment agencies at the slowest pace in six months in October due to a lack of suitable staff, recruiters said on Friday. * SHIPPING: Global supply chain disruption is changing cargo flows coming into Britain and smaller ports such as Liverpool are benefiting as suppliers look for other ways to route cargoes and minimise disruptions, Liverpool port's operator said. * CURRYS: Currys, Britain's biggest electricals retailer, is well stocked despite supply chain disruption and confident it will enjoy a strong Black Friday and Christmas trading period, its boss said on Thursday. * GOLD: Gold prices advanced and were poised for a weekly gain, as bullion drew support from the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to not rush to raise interest rates. * OIL: Oil prices rose more than 1%, staging a partial recovery after OPEC+ producers rebuffed a U.S. call to raise supply and instead maintained plans for a gradual return of output halted by the pandemic. * MARKETS: London's FTSE 100 rallied on Thursday as the pound plunged following the Bank of England's decision to defy markets by leaving rates unchanged, while heavyweight energy stocks tracked crude prices higher. * UK Corporate diary Beazley Q3 Results IAG Q3 Results * 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)
