Nov 22 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is expected to open higher on Wednesday, with futures up 0.13%.
* SEVERN TRENT: Severn Trent retained its annual financial forecast, even as the British water utility posted an about 3% fall in half-yearly profit.
* KINGFISHER: European home improvement retailer Kingfisher downgraded its full-year profit outlook for the second time in three months after third quarter underlying sales fell 3.9%, with market trends in France weaker than expected.
* SAGE: Software company Sage reported an 18% rise in full-year underlying operating profit on Wednesday after its margin rose to 20.9%, and it said the margin would continue to increase this year.
* JOHNSON MATTHEY: British autocatalyst maker Johnson Matthey raised its outlook for full-year underlying operating performance, as upbeat demand in its hydrogen and catalyst technology units helps offset lower prices of precious metals.
* CRH: Building materials supplier CRH has agreed to sell its lime operations in Europe for about $1.1 billion to rival SigmaRoc.
* INTERMEDIATE CAPITAL: Asset manager Intermediate Capital Group is set to join London's blue-chip FTSE 100 index in December, following a more than 33% rally in its share price so far in 2023, indicative changes announced by FTSE Russell showed.
* METAL: London copper prices slid from its two-month highs due to a firmer U.S. dollar and renewed economic risks, although losses were capped by firm supply-demand outlook.
* OIL: Oil prices barely moved during Asian trade as the market awaited potentially mixed news on the supply front, with the OPEC+ producers group expected to discuss output cuts and U.S. crude stocks forecast to show a big build-up.
* 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)
