Nov 23 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is expected to open higher on Thursday, with futures up 0.27%.
* VIRGIN MONEY: Virgin Money UK reported
full-year profit below market estimates
, pulled down by pressure on lending margins and stubborn inflation that squeezed British banks' returns.
* PZ CUSSONS: Soap maker PZ Cussons said it expects only a minimal surplus cash position remaining in its Nigeria business beyond what is required for trading by the end of its current financial year.
* OFGEM: British energy regulator Ofgem
raised its price cap on household energy bills
from January to an annual level of 1,928 pounds ($2,402.48) for a typical dual-fuel household, reflecting rising costs in international wholesale energy.
* JET2: British travel company Jet2 posted a 19% jump in operating profit for the six months to the end of September, after it took more people on holiday, and more of those opted for higher-margin package holidays.
* UK PAYMENTS: Britain needs a "digital alternative" to relying on Visa and Mastercard for card payments regardless of steps being taken by regulators, a report commissioned by the government said on Wednesday.
* METAL: Nickel prices fell, with the London contract hitting its lowest level in more than two-and-a-half years.
* GOLD: Gold prices rose, hovering close to a key $2,000 per ounce level, as an overall weaker U.S. dollar and lower Treasury yields buoyed demand for bullion.
* OIL: Oil prices fell by more than 1%, extending losses from the previous session, after OPEC+ postponed a ministerial meeting, leading to speculation that producers might cut output less than earlier anticipated.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times
> Other business headlines ($1 = 0.8025 pounds) (Reporting by Zainab Saifuddin Saifee in Bengaluru)
