UK STOCKS-Factors to watch on Dec 1

* HIGH SPEED INTERNET: Britain is to trial using low Earth orbit satellites to provide high-speed internet connections to remote homes and businesses, with the initial sites supported by equipment supplied by Elon Musk's Starlink system. * OIL: Oil prices dipped in Asia trade as uncertainty lingered ahead of Sunday's OPEC+ meeting, though easing COVID curbs at the world's top crude importer China capped price declines.

Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening higher on Thursday, with futures up 0.16%.

* HOTEL CHOCOLAT: Hotel Chocolat said it would cut back on discounts this holiday season as the British luxury chocolate maker swung to an annual loss on one-off charges. * HOUSE PRICES: British house prices tumbled 1.4% in November, compared with October, the biggest monthly drop since June 2020, mortgage lender Nationwide said.

* BRITISH GAS: British Gas is launching an energy reduction plan for this winter that will pay customers for every unit of electricity they save compared to their normal usage. * CAPRICORN ENERGY: Capricorn Energy's move to ask shareholders for permission to bolster its options for payouts could pave the way for an alternative to its planned merger with NewMed.

* BOOHOO: Boohoo said it was entering the Indian market through a deal to feature its brands on Walmart Inc-owned online fashion site Myntra. * HIGH SPEED INTERNET: Britain is to trial using low Earth orbit satellites to provide high-speed internet connections to remote homes and businesses, with the initial sites supported by equipment supplied by Elon Musk's Starlink system.

* OIL: Oil prices dipped in Asia trade as uncertainty lingered ahead of Sunday's OPEC+ meeting, though easing COVID curbs at the world's top crude importer China capped price declines. * GOLD: Gold touched a two-week high supported by a weaker dollar after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech sparked expectations of smaller interest rate hikes ahead.

* METALS: Copper prices climbed to their strongest in two weeks, supported by a weaker dollar and signs that top metals consumer China was shifting away from its stringent COVID-19 curbs policy. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:

TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times

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