News: ALL UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Feb 3

(Adds new items, updates futures move)

Feb 3 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower with futures down 0.2% on Thursday.

• PLAYTECH: Playtech PTEC.L said its shareholder TTB Partners sought the gambling software maker to release it from takeover rules that prevent it from making a fresh offer for the British company after the Aristocrat deal collapsed.

• BT GROUP: Britain's BT Group BT.L said it had entered exclusive discussions with Discovery DISCA.O to create a joint venture with BT Sport and Eurosport, as it reported a trading update for the nine months to end-December.
• M&C SAATCHI: The independent directors of British advertising group M&C Saatchi SAA.L have rejected another takeover approach from its biggest shareholder Vin Murria, but have agreed to continue talks to see if a deal can be done.

• SHELL: Shell SHEL.L reported a sharp rise in fourth-quarter profit to $6.4 billion, beating forecasts, lifted by soaring oil and natural gas prices as global economic activity picked up.
• COMPASS GROUP: Compass Group CPG.L , the world's largest catering company, said its first-quarter revenue had reached 97% of its pre-pandemic levels, largely boosted by new businesses and strong client retention.
• CMA: Britian on Thursday imposed a fine totalling 35 million pounds ($47.5 million) on firms, including Alliance Pharma ALAPH.L and private-equity group Cinven, for anti-competitive supply arrangements of some anti-nausea tablets to the National Health Service.
• ENERGY: Britain faces a profound economic problem over the coming years as it is unclear that wage growth will be able to keep pace with a sustained rise in energy prices, the head of the Confederation of British Industry said.
• GLENCORE: Mining giant Glencore GLEN.L and electric vehicle (EV) battery startup Britishvolt will jointly develop a new UK battery recycling plant that will help reuse expensive key raw materials like cobalt and lithium, the two companies said.
• ENERGY BILLS: Britons will learn the scale of the financial pain they face on Thursday when the energy regulator Ofgem announces an increase to its price cap, with under-pressure households expected to see bills soaring by about 50%.
• London's FTSE 100 rose on Wednesday, led by miners and consumer staple stocks, while the banking sub-index rose in anticipation of a second consecutive rate hike from the Bank of England meeting on Thursday.

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  TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines