UK Stocks-Factors to watch on April 27

April 27 (Reuters) – Britain’s FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower on Thursday with futures down 0.15%.

* LSEG: LSEG LSEG.L reaffirmed its annual forecast.

* Barclays: Barclays reported better than expected first-quarter profit.

* Unilever: Unilever ULVR.L smashed quarterly sales forecasts.

* AstraZeneca: AstraZeneca AZN.L beat expectations for its first-quarter profit and revenue, helped by sales of its roster of drugs in emerging markets.

* Sainsbury’s: Sainsbury’s <SBRY.L, Britain’s second-largest supermarket group, reported an expected 5% fall in annual profit.

* WPP: WPP WPP.L, the world’s largest advertising group, reported an underlying rise in first-quarter net sales.

* St James’s Place: British asset manager St James’s Place Plc SJP.L reported a rise in its funds under management at the end of the March quarter from the prior three months.

* Capricorn Energy : Capricorn Energy CNE.L plans $575 million in shareholder payouts over the next 12 months.

* Taylor Wimpey: British housebuilder Taylor Wimpey Plc TW.L said buyer interest has risen over the past few months, helped by an improvement in sales and mortgage rates, even as the group remained cautious over broader economic woes.

* Schroders: Schroders SDR.L said its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Richard Keers will retire from his role and leave the company on Dec. 31.

* OIL: Oil prices rose slightly, finding some support after heavy losses in the previous two sessions.

* GOLD: Gold prices rose as a softer dollar rekindled some of bullion’s appeal for overseas buyers.

(Reporting by Sinchita Mitra in Bengaluru)