Swiss stocks - Factors to watch on Jan 29

ZURICH Jan 29 (Reuters) - Swiss stocks were set to open lower on Friday, following falls on Wall Street and in Tokyo overnight.

The Swiss blue-chip index SMI.SSMI was indicated to open 14 points lower at 6,428 points, premarket data provided by bank Clariden Leu showed. CLPRE

The following are some of the main factors expected to affect Swiss stocks on Friday.

BANKS

Switzerland, home to UBS (UBSN.VX)(UBS.N) and Credit Suisse (CSGN.VX), will keep its universal bank model despite U.S. moves to split commercial banking from riskier activity, the country's bank lobby said in Davos on Thursday.

For related news click on [ID:nLDE60R2DH]

ROCHE (ROG.VX)

Roche's (ROG.VX) cancer drug Herceptin combined with chemotherapy works better than chemotherapy alone in patients with a certain type of advanced or inflammatory breast cancer, doctors said on Friday. [ID:nLDE60R0AF]

For related news click on [ROGN.VX]

ZURICH FINANCIAL (ZURN.VX)

The Swiss insurer almost doubled its initial public offering-related premiums in Brazil last year and is optimistic about its growth prospects, Paul Hopkins, Zurich CEO Americas and Chairman of its Famers Group unit, said on Thursday.

For related news click on [ZURN.VX]

BASILEA (BSLN.S)

The Swiss biotech said a panel recommended the continuation of a study for its drug candidate isavuconazole and that recruitment of new patients into the phase III clinical program for the antifungal is expected to resume in the first half of 2010. Topline data are anticipated to be available in 2011.

For related news click on [BSLN.S]

COMPANY STATEMENTS [CNR-CH]

* Schaffner(SAHN.S) says redemption of convertible bond completed [SAHN.S]

* Inficon (IFCN.S) signs agreement to acquire Micro Gas Chromatography Business Line from Agilent Technologies, Inc [IFCN.S]

ECONOMY [M-CH]

Switzerland's leading growth barometer, the KOF indicator, for January is due at 1030 GMT. Economists expect the indicator to tick up to 1.70.ECONCH

EQUITY RESEARCH [CH-RCH]

* CITIGROUP RAISES GIVAUDAN SA (GIVN.VX) TO BUY FROM HOLD

* BOFA MERRILL RESUMES COVERAGE OF ADECCO SA (ADEN.VX) WITH NEUTRAL RATING AND SFR 62 PRICE TARGET

FOR COMPANIES TRADING EX-DIVIDEND, PLEASE CLICK ON:

.EX.S for all Swiss stocks

.EXSMI.S for blue chips

.EXNSMI.S for other stocks