UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Oct. 29

(Adds company news items, futures)
Oct 29 - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 8 points lower at
5,575 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures up 0.06%
ahead of cash market open.

* ROYAL DUTCH SHELL: Royal Dutch Shell RDSa.L announced it will increase
its third-quarter dividend by 4% after reporting strong-than-expected profits in
the quarter. *SMITH+NEPHEW: Smith+Nephew SN.L said revenue recovered strongly in the
third quarter from the second, as hospitals managed to carry out more elective
surgeries after the initial wave of coronavirus infections. * WPP: The world's biggest advertising company WPP WPP.L said client wins
from Uber, Alibaba and HSBC had helped it to report an improvement in
third-quarter underlying trading. * LLOYDS: Lloyds Banking Group LLOY.L posted forecast-beating
third-quarter profit, lowering its provisions for expected bad loans due to the
pandemic and cashing in on a boom in demand for mortgages. * BT: BT BT.L , Britain's biggest fixed-line and mobile operator, said it
had delivered a strong operational performance in the first half given the
challenges of COVID-19 as it raised the lower limit of its earnings guidance for
the year. * GOLD: Gold edged up after a plunge in the previous session as surging
global coronavirus cases and fears of a contested U.S. presidential election
spurred demand, although a strong dollar capped gains. * OIL: Oil prices rose in early trading, regaining some of the ground lost
in a 5% slump overnight, amid the prospect of tighter short-term supply with
two-thirds of U.S. output shut in the Gulf of Mexico as Hurricane Zeta slammed
Louisiana. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 2.6% lower on Wednesday as investors
dumped riskier assets on fears of more lockdowns and uncertainty over a British
trade deal with the EU. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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TODAY'S UK PAPERS
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