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March 21 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening down 31 points, or 0.5 percent lower on Monday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures FFIc1 down 0.51 percent ahead of the cash market open. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on The UK blue chip index closed 0.19 percent lower on Friday at 6,189.64 points, consolidating a week in which shares have closed in on their 2016 highs, although commodity stocks paused after a strong run. BP: Energy giant BP BP.L has struck a deal with a local power company in China for the largest carbon permit buyback contract in the short history of the country's nascent carbon market. STANDARD CHARTERED: Shares in Standard Chartered Plc STAN.L are set to start 8 percent higher on Monday, tracking a similar spike in London on Friday. HOME RETAIL: Sainsbury's SBRY.L , Britain's No. 2 supermarket, was given a clear run to buy Argos-owner Home Retail HOME.L for 1.4 billion pounds ($2 billion) after rival suitor, South Africa's Steinhoff International, withdrew from the race on Friday. RIO TINTO: Top investors in Rio Tinto RIO.L RIO.AX say they want the global miner's new boss to proceed cautiously on acquisitions, focusing on the core, cash-generating iron ore business and on developing his own copper mines before looking for new assets. SYNTHOMER: Specialty chemicals maker SYNTS.L said it would buy U.S.-based HEXION Performance Adhesives & Coatings for $226 million, to grow its presence in the United States and Asia. BARCLAYS: Barclays PLC BARC.L has come under attack from a long-term shareholder, Django Davidson, for deciding to sell its African business and rebuild its investment bank, the Times reported. (http://thetim.es/1Plgc4I)
* LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE/DEUTSCHE BOERSE: Some shareholders of London Stock Exchange Group Plc LSE.L are telling management they're getting shortchanged by Deutsche Boerse AG's DB1Gn.DE all-share acquisition agreement, Bloomberg reported on Saturday. BREXIT: A British vote to leave the European Union could cost the economy 100 billion pounds ($145 billion) and 950,000 jobs by 2020, according to research commissioned by employers' group the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). UK PAPERS
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