UK Stocks-Factors to watch on March 18

March 18 - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening higher on Tuesday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.31%.

SABRE INSURANCE: Sabre Insurance SBRE.L said that its annual pre-tax profit more than doubled, as its competitive prices helped the British motor insurer navigate a challenging insurance market.

STHREE: British recruiter SThree STEMS.L reported a 15% fall in its first-quarter net fees, as economic uncertainty and tough conditions in key markets slow down hiring.

CLOSE BROTHERS: British lender Close Brothers CBRO.L forecast annual legal costs to be higher than it previously expected, as regulations over motor finance claims are being challenged by the industry in the Supreme Court.

GOVERNMENT SPENDING: Britain's Labour government will announce plans to cut the amount spent on supporting people with disabilities and long-term health conditions and will freeze thousands of government-issued credit cards as it tries to repair the country's strained public finances.

GLENCORE: Glencore GLEN.L has made an offer to acquire Canadian lithium battery recycling company Li-Cycle LICYN.MX as part of a proposal to offset operational and financial issues.

AI: Britain must leverage its strengths to influence how artificial intelligence is deployed around the world, DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis said.

REGULATORS: UK industry bodies have welcomed HM Treasury's action plan to streamline regulators' core legal duties and establish a concierge service for international financial services firms looking to domicile in London.

OIL: Oil prices rose slightly.

GOLD: Gold held steady hovering near an all-time high hit last week.

METALS: Copper prices on the London Metals Exchange (LME) slipped from a five-month high.

For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: LIVE/

TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times PRESS/FT
> Other business headlines PRESS/GB