RPT-UK Stocks -- Factors to watch on June 15

(Repeats to amend links to stories)

LONDON, June 15 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening
flat to down 9 points, or as much as 0.2 percent lower on Monday, according to
financial bookmakers, reflecting weakness in Asian markets and retreating
commodity prices.

The UK blue chip index closed 19.92 points lower on Friday at 4,441.95, just
under 3 points above the closing level of a week earlier, with the benchmark
currently stuck in a tight trading range following a strong rally from lows hit
on March 9.

Britain will pull out of recession earlier than previously forecast but a
sustained recovery is not assured, the Confederation of British Industry said on
Monday.

The business group predicted the economy would stabilise in the fourth
quarter of this year but said it would take until the beginning of next year to
return to growth. [nLC347749]

Meanwhile, the Group of Eight finance ministers said in a statement they
believe their economies are stabilising but recovery from the credit crisis
remains shaky.

The ministers said they had started to consider how to unwind the drastic
measures taken to fight the credit crisis once an economic recovery becomes
certain. [ID:nSP489110]

But China's economy will not experience a rapid recovery because it will
take time to find a new growth engine to replace sagging exports, an influential
economist said in remarks published on Monday.

Li Yang, a former adviser to the People's Bank of China, the central bank,
said he expected the world economy would need at least five years to fully get
over the current recession. [ID:nPEK27382]

No major UK economic data will be released on Monday but investors will eye
a welter of important figures due later this week, including May's CPI numbers
on Tuesday, unemployment and the June Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee
meeting minutes on Wednesday, and May retail sales on Thursday.

Across the Atlantic, after Friday's steady University of Michigan consumer
sentiment index reading, the June Empire State index is seen improving to -3.50,
up from the -4.55 reading in May.

* Wall Street mixed as defensives rise, techs slide [ID:nN12516333]

* Nikkei slips as chipmakers fall; property surges [ID:nT24332]

* GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian shares dip, pull away from 8-mth peak [ID:nT24036]

* FOREX-Dollar up as bets on riskier assets trimmed [ID:nT23585]

* TREASURIES-Edge up in Asia after auctions, await FOMC [ID:nT341451]

* Oil falls as dollar gains, Iran poses upside risk [ID:nSIN413018]

* Gold flat under $940, ETF unchanged [ID:nT108]

* METALS-Shanghai copper falls, chases dlr-led LME loss [ID:nSP424363]

UK stocks to watch on Monday are:

RIO TINTO (RIO.L), BHP BILLITON (BLT.L)

Chinese worries about a proposed $116 billion iron-ore joint venture between
Anglo-Australian miners Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton are understandable, a Chinese
Ministry of Commerce spokesman,Yao Jian said on Monday. [ID:nPEK260854]

BP (BP.L)

A former chief executive of mining company BHP Billiton (BLT.L), Paul
Anderson, has been shortlisted to chair energy firm BP (BP.L), British
newspapers reported on Monday. [ID:nLF210533]

LLOYDS BANKING GROUP (LLOY.L)

The part-nationalised bank is to take a 450 million pound ($742.7 million)
hit on loans it made to pubs group Admiral Taverns, the Sunday Times reported
without citing sources. [ID:nLE11931]

ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND (RBS.L)

The part-nationalised lender Royal Bank of Scotland has re-jigged CEO
Stephen Hester's incentive package after investors said it was not generous
enough, the Sunday Telegraph reported without citing sources. [ID:nLE49468]

BANKS

The British government is considering options for nationalised lender
Northern Rock, including a sale of the bank to Richard Branson's Virgin Group,
the Sunday Express reported, citing unnamed sources. [ID:nLE34317]

VEDANTA RESOURCES (VED.L)

Vedanta Resources will increase the note portion of its offer to take copper
giant Asarco out of bankruptcy, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.
[nN14147911]

SERCO (SRP.L)

The support services firm has won a contract worth 245 million pounds
($404.3 million) over 10 years to provide air traffic control at Dubai's
airports, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

FRIENDS PROVDENT (FP.L)

The insurer is believed to be considering consolidating its offices across
the south of England. Chief executive Trevor Matthews believed to have asked
Tony Brown, managing director of people and change, to assess the viability of
offices in Dorking, Exeter and Salisbury, the Independent on Sunday said.

BRITISH AIRWAYS (BAY.L)

The British Airline Pilots' Association has recommended that pilots working
for British Airways agree to a 10 percent pay cut and accept 100 voluntary
redundancies, the Mail on Sunday said.

CABLE & WIRELESS (CW.L)

The Association of British Insurers, which represents almost a fifth of UK
shareholders is expected to issue a red-top alert on Cable & Wireless' plans to
extend one long term incentive plan and establish a follow on scheme to retain
top executives ahead of the company's AGM, the Financial Times said.

BT GROUP (BT.L)

The telecoms firm has attacked British government proposals to give mobile
operators hundreds of millions of pounds worth of 3G licences in return for the
provision of access to mobile broadband in rural areas, The Sunday Telegraph
said.

ITV (ITV.L)

Former British Sky Broadcasting (BSY.L) boss Tony Ball, the frontrunner to
take over from Michael Grade as chief executive of ITV, has said he will shake
up the board if he assumes control of the broadcaster, the Observer newspaper
said.

Also, ITV is considering legal action against STV Group STV.L after
accusing the Scottish media company of failing to pay a 22 million pound fee
for being part of the ITV network, the Daily Telegraph said on Monday.

TESCO (TSCO.L)

It is expected that Tesco will this week report a 4.3 percent like-for-like
sales growth for the past three months, above that of the previous quarter but
is only half that of rivals Morrisons (MRW.L) and Wal-Mart-owned Asda which have
unveiled growth of 8.2 percent and 8.4 percent respectively, the Observer said.

RETAIL

The former Woolworths boss, Sir Geoff Mulcahy, is working with a group
planning to establish a 200-strong chain of "Woolworths-style" stores, the Times
said on Monday.

LIONTUST ASSET MANAGEMENT (LIO.L)

One of the City's most successful fund managers, Andy Brough, has acquired a
near 30 percent stake in the fund manager Liontrust through his Schroders'
investment funds, the Independent said on Monday.

ADDAX PETROLEUM (AXC.L)

China's state oil group Sinopec has made a 4.8 billion pound ($7.92 billion)
bid for the London-listed oil exploration group with fields in Kurdistan and
Nigeria, the Sunday Times reported. [ID:nLE677035]

HANSEN TRANSMISSIONS (HSNT.L) India's wind turbine maker Suzlon Energy
(SUZL.BO) is considering the sale of part or all of its stake in London-listed
Hansen Transmissions in a bid to repay part of its debt, The Economic Times of
India reported on Monday, citing people close to the development. [ID:nDEL427724}

MAJESTIC WINE (MJW.L)

The wine retailer unveils full-year results.

TEN ALPS (TAL.L)

The media production company posts full-year results.

DEAL GROUP MEDIA DGM.L

The online marketing group holds its annual general meeting.

TODAY'S UK PAPERS

> Financial Times [PRESS/FT]

> Other business headlines [PRESS/GB]

(Reporting by Jon Hopkins)