News: ALL UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Oct 18

Oct 18 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower on Monday, with futures FFIc1 down 0.1%.

• PLAYTECH: Australia's Aristocrat Leisure Ltd (ALL) said it will buy gaming software supplier Playtech Plc PTEC.L for 2.1 billion pounds, offering new growth areas for the gambling machine maker including real money gaming.
• ECONOMY: Supply chain problems that are dragging on the economy's post-lockdown recovery will persist for at least a year, according to a survey of chief financial officers at top British companies published on Monday.
• HOUSE PRICES: Asking prices across all regions and segments of Britain's housing market rose in unison for the first time since 2007 as buyer demand once again outstripped homes coming onto the market, a survey showed.
• POWER: The UK government will announce plans to fund a new nuclear power plant before the 2024 election as part of its Net Zero strategy, The Telegraph reported late on Sunday.

• OIL: Oil prices hit their highest level in years as demand recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, boosted by more custom from power generators turning away from expensive gas and coal to fuel oil and diesel.
• GOLD: Gold prices were nearly flat, struggling to recover from a steep sell-off in the previous session as both U.S. bond yields and the dollar climbed, further weighing on bullion.

• London's FTSE 100 rose to a near 20-month high on Friday, recovering all losses since the pandemic began, helped by gains in heavyweight oil and banking shares as investors were optimistic about a steady economic recovery.
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