UK Stocks-Factors to watch on August 17
EWU•FTSE 100 seen opening higher
Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening higher on Monday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.2%.
Key factors affecting UK markets
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Credit ratings: Fitch maintained its sovereign credit ratings on the United Kingdom at "AA-" with a "stable" outlook.
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House prices: Asking prices for newly listed homes in Britain recorded their biggest August fall since 2018 despite a modest pickup in activity after Prime Minister Andy Burnham took office, property website Rightmove said.
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Jobs: British employers remain reluctant to hire and confidence has stayed near its weakest levels outside the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
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Oil: Oil prices rose as fading expectations of a U.S.-Iran peace breakthrough and slower tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz reinforced geopolitical risk concerns in the market.
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Gold: Gold drifted higher, supported by a weaker dollar and recent soft economic data that reduced expectations for a U.S. interest rate hike next month.
