UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Dec 22

Dec 22 - Britain's FTSE 100 futures index FFIc1 was down 0.57% on Tuesday.

* TESCO: British supermarket group Tesco TSCO.L warned on Monday that
there may be a shortage of some fruit and vegetables later this week if
transport ties are not quickly restored with mainland Europe. * ROYAL MAIL: Royal Mail RMG.L has halted deliveries to several countries
as a result of their port closures and travel tie cuts with Britain following a
new faster spreading strain of the coronavirus, the company's website showed on
Monday. * ASTRAZENECA: Malaysia has signed a deal to procure 6.4 million doses of
AstraZeneca's AZN.L coronavirus vaccine, and is in final talks with Chinese
and Russian manufacturers to secure more, said Prime Minister Muhyiddin
Yassin. * CENTRICA: Members of the Britain's GMB union will stage a total withdrawal
of labor for five days in January at Centrica Plc's CNA.L British Gas over the
company's refusal to remove "fire and rehire" threats, the union said on Monday.
* BREXIT: The European Union is considering a new proposal on fishing rights
from the United Kingdom as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tries to secure
an 11th-hour trade deal, Bloomberg news reported on Monday. * GOLD: Gold prices gained as a U.S. coronavirus aid package set for Senate
approval boosted the metal's appeal as an inflation hedge, while a new
coronavirus strain shutting down much of Britain lent further
support. * OIL: Oil prices dropped further adding to steep losses from the previous
session, as a new strain of the novel coronavirus in the United Kingdom
triggered concerns over fuel demand recovery. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 1.7% lower on Monday as several
nations closed their borders to Britain. UK mid-cap stocks suffered their worst
day in 3 months on Monday as stricter curbs to fight a fast-spreading new strain
of the coronavirus prompted travel bans, worries about food shortages and
further economic pain. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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