European Factors -- Shares set for flat open; US retail eyed

(Adds futures, more company items, updates snapshot table)

LONDON, June 11 (Reuters) - European shares were set for a flat open on
Thursday, with energy companies likely to extend recent gains following another
rise in the price of crude, offset by concerns over U.S. bond yields, and ahead
of retail sales data in the United States.

At 0636 GMT, the DJ Euro Stoxx STXEc1 futures were flat, Germany's DAX
futures FDXc1 were up 0.1 percent and France's CAC-40 futures FCEc1 were
down 0.3 percent.
On Wednesday, the FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 index of top European shares
rose 1.2 percent to 879.98 points. The European benchmark index is up more than
36 percent from the lifetime low it hit on March 9, as investors have become
more confident on the prospects for economic recovery.

U.S. stocks eased overnight on worries that rising interest rates could put
a damper on consumer and business spending.

Crude oil CLc1 settled at $71.33 a barrel in New York, the highest close
for seven months, after a government report showed a bigger-than-expected
drawdown in inventories.

Later in the session, investors' attention will turn to retail sales data
for May, and weekly jobless numbers, in the United States.

----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT AT 0621 GMT----------------------

LAST PCT CHG NET CHG

S&P 500 .SPX 939.15 -0.35 % -3.28

NIKKEI .N225 9,981.33 -0.1 % -10.16

MSCI ASIA EX-JP .MIASJ0000PUS 399.74 0.27 % 1.07

EUR/USD EUR= 1.4054 0.64 % 0.0090

USD/JPY JPY= 97.85 -0.37 % -0.3600

10-YR US TSY YLD US10YT=RR 3.924 -- -0.02

10-YR BUND YLD EU10YT=RR 3.690 -- -0.01

SPOT GOLD XAU= $957.50 0.40 % $3.85

US CRUDE CLc1 $72.09 1.07 % 0.76

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

* US STOCKS-Wall St falls as rate worries dent recovery [ID:nN10462992]

* TREASURIES-Edge up in Asia, 10-yr yield off 8-mth peak [ID:nT260948]

* Nikkei down after hitting 8-mth high, data eyed [ID:nT258651]

* Dlr falls ahead of next Treasury auction hurdle [ID:nT256649]

* GLOBAL MARKETS-Oil rises, buoys Asia resource stocks [ID:nLB117091]

* PRECIOUS-Gold steady as dollar and oil eyed [ID:nT260643]

* METALS-Shanghai copper ticks down on demand woes [ID:nSHA154461]

* Oil heads towards $72 on falling U.S. inventories [ID:nSP478946]

COMPANY ITEMS

METRO (MEOG.DE), ARCANDOR (AROG.DE)

Metro said the door remains "wide open" for further talks with insolvent
Arcandor on a department store tie-up. [ID:nWEA6356]

Related news [MEOG.DE-E]

HOME RETAIL GROUP (HOME.L)

The company said catalogue chain Argos and home improvement chain Homebase
both enjoyed better-than-expected sales in the quarter and grew market share.
Like-for-like sales at Argos fell 2.8 percent; they rose 3.8 percent at
Homebase. Margins at Argos fell 75 basis points; at Homebase, they fell 250
basis points.

RIO TINTO (RIO.L)

Rio Tinto offered a share in a planned iron ore alliance with BHP Billiton
(BLT.L) to Chinalco as a peace offering following the collapse of Rio's $19.5
billion deal with the Chinese firm, the Australian Financial Review said on
Thursday. [ID:nSYD476524]

ASTRAZENECA (AZN.L)

Three widely used antipsychotic medications, including AstraZeneca's
Seroquel, appear safe and effective overall in treating children and teenagers
with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, a U.S. advisory panel said.
[ID:nN10464738]

LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE (LSE.L), 3I (III.L), WOLSELEY (WOS.L)

The London Stock Exchange, private equity firm 3i and plumbing supplies
group Wolseley will be promoted to the FTSE 100 benchmark following the latest
quarterly reshuffle, index compiler FTSE said on Wednesday. [ID:nLA178387]

They will replace non-life insure Amlin (AML.L), leisure firm Whitbread
(WTB.L) and power generator Drax Group (DRX.L).

SIEMENS (SIEGn.DE)

Siemens has won a $375 million contract to supply key equipment to a thermal
power plant in southern Vietnam, Vietnamese state-run newspapers reported.
[ID:nHAN463103]

Stocks are indicated 1.2 percent higher.

Related news [SIEGn.DE-E]

ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND (RBS.L), LLOYDS BANKING GROUP (LLOY.L)

The company managing Britain's stakes in Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds
Banking Group could sell an "exchangeable bond" in the two banks, according to
the Daily Telegraph. [ID:nB692]

COMMERZBANK (CBKG.DE)

Ratiopharm said it hired Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L) and Commerzbank to
manage the sale of the German generic-drug maker, which was put on the auction
block because of financial woes of its owners. [ID:nWEA6351]

Related news [CBKG.DE-E]

E.ON (EONGn.DE)

E.ON Ruhrgas aims to determine in the coming year how liquefied natural gas
(LNG) from Equatorial Guinea can boost its drive to diversify global sourcing
and distribution around Europe, an executive said. [ID:nLA1008451]

Related news [EONGn.DE-E]

EADS (EAD.DE)

Airbus denied on Wednesday a French newspaper report that it is considering
grounding its fleet of A330 and A340 planes in the wake of last week's Air
France (AIRF.PA) crash, saying they are safe to fly. [ID:nLA30022]

Related news [EAD.PA-E]

IBERDROLA (IBE.MC)

Spain's largest power company is poised to start supplying liquefied natural
gas to the U.S. market under a deal signed with U.S.-based Chevron Corp (CVX.N),
Waterborne Energy consultants Chairman Steve Johnson told Reuters on Wednesday

For more information, click on [ID:nN10453860]

SANOFI-AVENTIS (SASY.PA), TOTAL (TOTF.PA)

French oil and gas company Total has cut its stake in pharmaceuticals group
Sanofi-Aventis to under 10 percent, French market regulator AMG said in a
statement on Wednesday. [ID:nL0761138]

Sanofi-Aventis on Wednesday denied it had presented a major U.S. acquisition
plan to its board, following a report in the edition of Les Echos newspaper due
to appear on Thursday. [ID:nB773793]

Ratiopharm and the creditor banks of its parent, investment vehicle VEM,
have hired Royal Bank of Scotland and Commerzbank (CBKG.DE) to manage the sale
of the German generic-drug maker, it said on Wednesday. Sanofi is tipped as a
potential suitor. [ID:nLA765232]

SOLVAY (SOLB.BR)

Belgian chemicals and drug maker says generic producer Perrigo Israel
Pharmaceuticals had applied for approval from U.S. authorities to sell a generic
version of Solvay's treatment for testosterone deficiency, Androgel.
[ID:nLA400868]

FORTIS (FOR.BR)

Swiss bank UBS (UBSN.VX) has taken a 3.71 percent stake in Belgian-based
financial services group Fortis. [ID:nLA763101]

(Reporting by Brian Gorman; editing by Mike Nesbit)