UK Stocks-Factors to watch on February 26

Feb 26 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening higher on Wednesday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.44%.

LABOUR: Up to 160,000 part-time retail jobs in Britain are at risk of being lost over the next three years as a result of higher employer taxes and regulatory changes, the British Retail Consortium warned.

THAMES WATER: Britain's Thames Water has asked KKR KKR.N and Castle Water to provide more detail on bids for stakes in the struggling water utility, Bloomberg News reported.

EV: British startup Volklec said it has reached a licensing agreement with China's Far East Battery to use its technology to make batteries for energy storage and electric vehicles.

NET ZERO: Britain must end its reliance on fossil fuels, switch to electric vehicles and heat pumps, and eat less meat to reach its 2050 net zero target, the Climate Change Committee said.

OIL: Oil prices climbed in early Asian trading hours, bouncing off two-month lows hit in the prior session.

GOLD: Gold prices inched higher after hitting a one-week low in the previous session.

METALS: London copper prices climbed, tracking a weak dollar.

The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed up 0.11% on Tuesday with defence stocks rising after Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced an increase in UK defence spending.

UK CORPORATE DIARY:

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TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times PRESS/FT
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