UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Feb. 25

(Adds company news items, futures)
Feb 25 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index .FTSE is seen opening 32
points higher at 6,691 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers, with
futures .FFIc1 up 0.41% ahead of cash market open.

* CENTRICA: Centrica CNA.L reported a 362 million pound loss from
continuing operations for 2020, due to the impacts of coronavirus, warmer
weather and weaker commodity prices. * HIKMA: Hikma Pharmaceuticals HIK.L said it expects higher sales for all
of its three businesses for the new year. * ST. JAMES'S PLACE: St. James's Place SJP.L posted a 75% surge in annual
profit, helped by markets' recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic
fallout. * ANGLO AMERICAN : Anglo American AAL.L posted a slight fall in profits
for 2020 but boosted dividends. * SERCO: Serco Group Plc SRP.L reinstated a dividend and raised its 2021
forecasts. * DRAX: Drax DRX.L reported a 235 million pound loss before tax for 2020,
after taking a 60 million pound hit due to the coronavirus. * ASTON MARTIN: Aston Martin AML.L said a turnaround plan would see it
takes the first steps towards profitability and boost sales this
year. * BAE SYSTEMS: BAE Systems BAES.L posted a 2% rise in annual earnings per
share, beating forecasts, and guided to further growth in 2021 as its order book
expands. * ASSOCIATED BRITISH FOODS: Associated British Foods ABF.L warned that the
loss of sales from lockdown store closures for its first half to Feb. 27 would
be 1.1 billion pounds. * STANDARD CHARTERED: Standard Chartered Plc STAN.L posted a 57% fall in
annual profit, missing analyst estimates, on higher credit impairments due to
the COVID-19 pandemic. * GOLD: Gold eased as U.S. Treasury yields hovered near a one-year peak,
tarnishing bullion's appeal. * OIL: Oil prices extended gains for a fourth session to reach the highest
levels in more than 13 months. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 0.5% higher on Wednesday as gains in
commodity-linked and banking stocks on investor optimism about a post-pandemic
economic recovery outweighed losses in defensive sectors. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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