News: RIO UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Oct 22

(Updates futures, adds news items)

Oct 22 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening higher on Friday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.3%.

• LSE: London Stock Exchange Group LSEG.L posted a 2.1% rise in revenue in the third quarter and said it was on track to achieve its cost savings from the integration of data platform Refinitiv.
• RETAIL SALES: British retail sales dropped by 0.2% September, official figures showed, adding to signs of weakness in the recovery from COVID-19 and bucking economists' expectations in a Reuters poll for a monthly rise of 0.5%.

• IHG: Holiday Inn owner IHG IHG.L reported a sharp jump in third-quarter room revenue after a busy summer, with the company recovering closer to pre-pandemic levels on easing travel restrictions.
• SAINSBURY'S: British supermarket Sainsbury's SBRY.L said it had ended talks about selling its banking operation after concluding that approaches it first received in November 2020 did not offer good value for shareholders.
• RIO TINTO: Australia's securities watchdog has closed its investigation into former Rio Tinto (RIO) executive Alan Davies over an alleged $10.5 million payment to a consultant in Guinea, citing insufficient evidence, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters.
• INFLATION: A record proportion of the British public thinks inflation will accelerate over the next 12 months, according to data that could further boost expectations that the Bank of England will raise interest rates next month.

• WISE PLC: Wise Plc WISEa.L co-founder Taavet Hinrikus would sell about 1.1%, of the money transfer company's Class A shares through an accelerated bookbuilding process, the company said on Thursday.
• OIL: Oil prices resumed their climb on continued tightness in U.S. supply, but were headed for a flat finish on the week as coal and gas prices eased, curbing fuel-switching which had stoked demand for oil products for power.
• London's FTSE 100 index fell on Thursday, as miners dropped due to rising troubles in China's property sector and investors fretted about rate-hike prospects.
• For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:

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