UK Stocks-Factors to watch on November 27

Nov 27 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index edged up 0.05% on Thursday.

HALFORDS: Halfords HFD.L reported a rise in first-half profit on Thursday, as strong bicycle sales helped offset costs and other inflationary pressures.

DEBENHAMS: Debenhams Group DEBS.L said on Thursday it expects annual adjusted core profit to be ahead of last year, as the British online fashion retailer pushes ahead with a turnaround strategy focused on cutting costs and boosting demand.

UNITE GROUP: UK's competition authority cleared student accommodation developer Unite Group's UTG.L acquisition of smaller rival Empiric Student Property ESP.L on Thursday.

FLUTTER: Flutter Entertainment FLTRF.L said the UK government's plans to raise online gaming taxes will hit its adjusted EBITDA by about $320 million in fiscal 2026 and $540 million in 2027.

PLAYTECH: Playtech PTEC.L expects the UK's proposed tax changes to impact its adjusted core profit by up to high-teens millions of euros before mitigation.

EVOKE: Evoke EVOK.L said the UK tax hikes will lift annual duty costs by 125-135 million pounds from April 2027.

ENTAIN: Entain ENT.L expects about 200 million pounds ($264.48 million) of additional cost to its UK and Ireland online business from the UK's proposed tax changes.

EX-DIVS: 3i Group, IAG, Severn Trent, Marks and Spencer, Land Securities, LondonMetric Property, FirstGroup and Johnson Matthey will trade without entitlement to its latest dividend pay-out on Thursday.

COMMODITIES: Oil prices fell and gold edged lower on Thursday.

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

TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times PRESS/FT
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