Feb 23 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening down 37 to 39 points, or as much as 0.6 percent, on Tuesday, according to financial bookmakers. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on Britain's FTSE 100 index .FTSE rose 1.5 percent to close at 6,037.73 points on Monday as mining companies buoyed by strengthening metals prices outweighed worries over Britain's potential exit from the European Union and a drop for banking heavyweight HSBC HSBA.L BHP BILLITON: Top global miner BHP Billiton BHP.AX BLT.L slashed its interim dividend by 75 percent on Tuesday, abandoning a long-held policy of steady or higher payouts as it braces for a longer-than-expected commodities downturn. HOME RETAIL/SAINSBURY: British supermarket Sainsbury 's SBRY.L has been given more time to table a firm bid for Argos-owner Home Retail HOME.L after a possible higher rival offer from South African retail group Steinhoff International SNHG.DE emerged on Friday. LLOYDS: The chief executive of Lloyds Banking Group LLOY.L is to be awarded a bonus of more than £800,000 even as volatile markets delay George Osborne's plan to sell the taxpayer's remaining stake to the public, Sky News reported. BP: Standard & Poor's cut its corporate credit ratings on BP BP.L , Total SA TOTF.PA and Statoil ASA STL.OL , citing the Europe-based oil and gas companies' persistent weak debt coverage measures over 2015-2017. HUTCHISON: CK Hutchison Holdings 0001.HK will seek to convince EU antitrust regulators of the merits of its proposed buy of Telefonica 's TEF.MC British mobile unit at a hearing on March 4, three people familiar with the matter said on Monday. BREXIT: The pound posted its biggest one-day loss in almost six years on Monday on concerns of a possible British exit from the EU, adding to the pressure on Prime Minister David Cameron as he mounted a defence of his deal to keep the country in the bloc. BREXIT: Two of the world's main credit rating agencies on Monday reiterated their view that the British economy could be damaged if the country votes to leave the European Union in a referendum scheduled for June 23. BRITAIN ECONOMY: British factory orders weakened slightly further in February after a sharper fall in January and manufacturers expect to cut their prices in the coming months, an industry survey showed on Monday. COPPER: London copper slipped on Tuesday from a two-week high hit the session before after China boosted metals imports in January, as traders worried about the sustainability of demand. Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange CMCU3 had fallen 1.09 percent to $4,642.00 a tonne by 0554 GMT OIL: Oil futures fell more than 1 percent on Tuesday amid worries rising Iranian output would deepen a global crude oversupply, offsetting expectations of a drop in U.S. production that had spurred sharp price gains in the prior session. International benchmark Brent LCOc1 was down 66 cents at $34.03 a barrel at 0549 GMT. BRITAIN OIL: British oil and gas production could halve by 2025 if oil companies do not spend enough to squeeze every last drop out the North Sea, industry group Oil and Gas UK warned on Tuesday. UK CORPORATE DIARY:
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