March 3 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening down 1 point, or 0.02 percent lower on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on The UK blue chip index closed 0.1 percent lower on Wednesday at 6,147.06 with the market's earlier gains fizzling out as oil prices weakened, while shares in ITV ITV.L and Intertek ITRK.L also declined. LSEG: Carsten Kengeter, the chief executive of Deutsche Boerse DB1Gn.DE lauded the benefits for the Frankfurt exchange and its customers on Wednesday of a proposed deal to merge the German exchange operator with the London Stock Exchange LSE.L . STANDARD LIFE/SHELL: The investment arm of British insurer Standard life SL.L said on Wednesday it would step up its engagement with management at Volkswagen VOWG_p.DE and Royal Dutch Shell RDSa.L over certain concerns it has regarding corporate governance. UK SUPERMARKETS: Britain's Co-operative Group 42TE.L has added fuel to the country's supermarket price war with another wave of cuts. The company, which is the UK's fifth-largest supermarket chain by sales, said on Wednesday that the price reductions on more than 200 of its own-brand British-sourced meat and poultry products would total 75 million pounds ($105 million). SPORTS DIRECT/ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT: Sports Direct SPD.L and Aberdeen Asset Management ADN.L will drop out of Britain's benchmark FTSE 100 .FTSE equity index after a slump in their share prices since the start of 2016. Other companies to be relegated from the top British shares index will be diversified engineering company Smiths Group SMIN.L and Hikma Pharmaceuticals HIK.L , the London Stock Exchange said on Wednesday. four companies will be replaced in the FTSE 100 by gambling company Paddy Power Betfair PPB.L , supermarket operator WM Morrison MRW.L , publishing company Informa INF.L and private hospital operator Mediclinic International MDCM.L .
* BHP BILLITON: Mining company Samarco and its owners, BHP Billiton BLT.L and Vale SA VALE5.SA , reached a deal with the Brazilian government on Wednesday to pay an estimated 20 billion reais ($5.1 billion) in damages over 15 years for a deadly dam spill in November. UK ENERGY: Britain's government must set out its policies beyond 2020 to restore confidence in the country's energy sector if it is to secure the billions of pounds of investment needed to keep the lights on while meeting climate targets, lawmakers said on Thursday. OIL: Oil prices edged higher on Thursday as sentiment spread that a 20-month-long market rout is coming to an end as production slows amid strong demand. COPPER: London copper hit its highest since mid-November on Thursday as risk appetite stayed strong, fuelled by a revival in share markets and commodity prices that fanned hopes a global recovery was getting on track. EX-DIVS: Hargreaves Lansdown HRGV.L , HSBC Holdings HSBA.L , Persimmon
PSN.L , RSA Insurance Group RSA.L will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 13.2 points off the FTSE 100 according to Reuters calculations UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Communisis PLC
Full Year Carillion PLC
Full Year Indigovision Group PLC
Full Year H & T Group PLC
Q4 Impellam Group PLC
Full Year Arrow Global Group PLC
Full Year Shawbrook Group PLC
Full Year Whitbread PLC
Q4 Sportech PLC
Full Year Schroders PLC
Full Year Cobham PLC
Full Year Spirax-Sarco Engineering PLC
Full Year RPS Group PLC
Full Year Hunting PLC
Full Year Science Group PLC
Full Year BBA Aviation PLC
Full Year Headlam Group PLC
Full Year Genel Energy PLC
Full Year Aggreko PLC
Full Year Travis Perkins PLC
Full Year Admiral Group PLC
Full Year Inmarsat PLC
Full Year Vesuvius PLC
Full Year
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