Europe Factors-Shares set to dip; automakers in focus

(Adds futures, details, company news; updates snapshot)

PARIS, Aug 21 (Reuters) - European equities were seen dipping on Friday,
trimming the previous session's gains and mirroring losses in Tokyo, with shares
of resource-related stocks set to feel the pinch of retreating commodity prices.

By 0619 GMT, futures for the DJ Euro Stoxx STXEc1, for Germany's DAX
FDXc1 and for France's CAC FCEc1 were down between 0.3 percent and 0.4
percent. Earlier, financial spreadbetters expected Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE to
open 22 to 31 points lower, or as much as 0.7 percent.

Shares of automakers will be in the spotlight after Japan's Nikkei average
.N225 fell 1.4 percent, dragged lower by slumping auto shares ahead of the end
of a U.S. rebate programme. The popular "cash-for-clunkers" program, that gives
rebates for car buyers trading in less fuel-efficient vehicles, will end on
Monday, the U.S. Transportation Department said on Thursday. [ID:nWEN2655]

In Tokyo, shares of Toyota Motor (7203.T) dropped 2.9 percent and shares of
Nissan Motor (7201.T), in which France's Renault (RENA.PA) has a significant
stake, shed 5.2 percent.

Oil eased below $73 a barrel on Friday as optimism over the pace of demand
recovery in the United States faded, while metal prices also fell.

Mining shares will be in focus after BHP Billiton (BLT.L) said it did not
expect to see "clean demand" for the global metals sector until early 2010.
[ID:nLK212585]

The Shanghai Composite Index .SSEC was up 1.1 percent in late trade.

Investors will scour U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's speech
before the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Economic Symposium later in the
day, for more clues on the outlook for the world's largest economy.

The market will also keep a close eye on U.S. existing home sales data, due
at 1400 GMT. A Reuters survey of 61 economists predicted sales of previously
owned homes climbed to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5 million in July,
the briskest pace since 5.1 million units were sold in September and up from
4.89 million units in June.

The FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 index of top European shares, which gained 1.4
percent on Thursday, is up 0.4 percent so far on the week. The benchmark index
has soared 46 percent since reaching a floor in March, and is up 14 percent
year-to-date.

----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT AT 0622 GMT----------------------

LAST PCT CHG NET CHG

S&P 500 .SPX 1,007.37 1.09 % 10.91

NIKKEI .N225 10,238.20 -1.4 % -145.21

MSCI ASIA EX-JP .MIASJ0000PUS 417.29 -0.74 % -3.12

EUR/USD EUR= 1.4229 -0.13 % -0.0018

USD/JPY JPY= 93.71 -0.49 % -0.4600

10-YR US TSY YLD US10YT=RR 3.407 -- -0.02

10-YR BUND YLD EU10YT=RR 3.233 -- -0.02

SPOT GOLD XAU= $939.00 -0.04 % -$0.35

US CRUDE CLc1 $72.48 -0.59 % -0.43

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Wall St gains on factory data, China; banks rally [ID:nN20534521]

Asia shares wary as China rebounds; yen gains [ID:nSP529048]
Tokyo's Nikkei share average closes down 1.40 pct [ID:nECB001126]
Oil below $73 after surge to 7-wk high, eyes Fed speech [ID:nSIN143777]

TREASURIES-Rally in Asia, 10-yr yield dips to 1-mth low [ID:nT247340]
Yen up after report about China's bank capital rules [ID:nT252167]
PRECIOUS-Gold holds near $940, but remains vulnerable [ID:nT249511]
Shanghai, LME copper ease, ShFE stocks seen up [ID:nSP529476]

COMPANY NEWS:

AUTOMAKERS

The popular U.S. government "cash-for-clunkers" program, that gives rebates
for car buyers trading in less fuel-efficient vehicles, will end on Monday, the
U.S. Transportation Department said on Thursday. For details, see:[ID:nWEN2655]

In Tokyo, shares of Toyota Motor (7203.T) dropped 2.9 percent and shares of
Nissan Motor (7201.T), in which France's Renault (RENA.PA) has a significant
stake, shed 5.2 percent.

MINERS

BHP Billiton (BLT.L), the world's largest miner, said on Thursday it did not
expect to see "clean demand" for the global metals sector until early 2010 as a
global slowdown bites. Chief Executive Marius Kloppers said nickel and aluminum
would not contribute as much to the group's business this year. The mining giant
reported a slide in annual profit earlier this month due to a slump in metal
prices and demand. For details, see:[nLK212585]

VOLKSWAGEN (VOWG.DE), PORCHE (PSHG_p.DE)

Porsche's former CEO Wendelin Wiedeking is being investigated by prosecutors
as part of a probe into suspected market manipulation in Volkswagen shares.

The former chief financial officer of German carmaker Porsche, Holger
Haerter, is also among people being investigated, Porsche said after prosecutors
raided its headquarters. For details, see:[ID:nLK663196]

SAP AG (SAPG.DE)

The software company's U.S. rival Oracle Corp (ORCL.O) has won U.S.
anti-trust approval to buy computer maker Sun Microsystems, clearing a key
hurdle in the companies' plan to close the $7.4 billion deal before the end of
this month. For details, see:[ID:nN20534869]

HEIJMANS (HEIJ.AS)

The Dutch builder posted a net loss twice as large as expected and said it
would implement a reverse stock split as it struggles to return to
profitability.For details, see: [ID:nLK202164]

LONZA (LONN.VX)

Lonza said on Friday it had submitted an unbinding offer to buy Patheon Inc.
for $3.55 per share, valuing the group at $460 million. For related news, click
on [LONN.VX-LEN-RTRS]

UBS (UBSN.VX)

The U.S. Justice department charged an ex-UBS banker and a Zurich lawyer of
helping wealthy Americans to hide their assets from U.S. tax authorities. For
related news click on [UBSN.VX-LEN-RTRS]

EADS (EAD.PA)

Boeing Co (BA.N) took orders for seven new 737 aircraft in the week ended
Aug. 18, the company said on Thursday. For more, click on [ID:nN20524234]

(Reporting by Blaise Robinson; Editing by Atul Prakash)