UK Stocks-Factors to watch on February 19

Feb 19 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening higher on Thursday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.2%.

LSEG: Elliott Investment Management is pressing London Stock Exchange Group LSEG.L to conduct a full review of its portfolio and launch a 5 billion pound buyback, a person familiar with the matter said.

FTSE RUSSELL: FTSE Russell proposed introducing a "fast-entry" mechanism for initial public offerings and revising eligibility requirements for its Russell U.S. Equity Indexes ahead of several large listings.

LABOUR COST: British retailers have grown markedly more anxious about rising labour costs over the next year after new employment rights began to be implemented, a trade body survey of finance chiefs showed.

OIL: Oil prices eased in early Asia trade as investors assessed efforts by the U.S. and Iran to resolve tensions while both sides have stepped up military activity in the key oil-producing region.

METALS: LME copper ticked down as the U.S. dollar hit a more than one-week high and rising inventories with muted China demand weighed on prices of the red metal.

GOLD: Gold prices ticked lower pressured by a firm dollar ahead of key U.S. inflation data that could influence the Federal Reserve's interest rate-cutting trajectory.

EX-DIVS: AstraZeneca AZN.L, Shell SHEL.L, BP BP.L, Barclays BARC.L, Imperial Brands IMB.L and Easyjet EZJ.L will trade without entitlement to its latest dividend pay-out.

UK'S FTSE 100: London's FTSE 100 closed at a fresh peak on Wednesday after signs of cooling inflation bolstered expectations of a Bank of England rate cut as soon as March.

UK CORPORATE DIARY:

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