LONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE is seen opening little
changed on Monday holding onto gains set the previous session, with higher
stocks in Asia seen reassuring investors after a sharp decline on Wall Street on
Friday.
The blue-chip index is seen opening 2-3 points higher after it closed up
35.21 points on Friday at 5,4242.57, shrugging off a shock fall in UK GDP data.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei .N225 rose 0.8 percent to hit its highest close
in four weeks on Monday, lifted by exporters such as Honda Motor Co (7267.T) on
a weaker yen, while Kawasaki Heavy (7012.T) jumped on a report of a high-speed
rail project in China. [ID:nTKW006623]
But on Friday U.S. stocks fell as industrial companies' weak results
overshadowed robust earnings from tech and retail heavyweights.
* US STOCKS-Wall St falls on weak industrials; [ID:nN23124880]
* Nikkei rises 1 pct on weak yen, earnings hopes [ID:nT284254]
* TREASURIES-Strong home sales, supply, rate worries weigh [ID:nN23618215]
* Dollar falls to 14-mth low vs euro on China report [ID:nT353774]
* PRECIOUS-Gold inches up as dollar retreats against euro [ID:nT298660]
* METALS-Copper seen steady, dlr, oil may weigh [ID:nSP439785]
* Oil falls below $80 on economic recovery concerns [ID:nSYD492551]
UK stocks to watch on Monday are:
BANKS
British banks must give breakdowns of bonuses by the end of the week or they
will need to use the cash to beef up reserves, the Sunday Times reported quoting
Adair Turner, head of Britain's banking regulator. [ID:nLP412316]
British retail banks should be stopped from paying big cash bonuses and use
the money instead to support new lending according to the text of a speech to be
given by the opposition Conservatives' finance spokesman on Monday.
[ID:nLP42756]
BP (BP.L)
The oil major's incoming chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg, will lead a shake-up
of the oil giant's boardroom when he takes over, the Sunday Times reported.
[ID:nLP734830]
Separately, BP was due to sign a deal with Jordan on Sunday to explore for
natural gas reserves in the small Rish field near the border with Iraq, company
and government officials said on Saturday. [ID:nLO643143]
STANDARD LIFE (SL.L)
The insurer is not looking at selling off its underperforming Canadian
business according to a source, despite a newspaper report saying that it had
asked its advisors to review the unit. [ID:nLP709091]
ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND (RBS.L)
The bank is planning to scale back its involvement in the government's asset
protection scheme, media reports said on Saturday. [ID:nLO634481]
LLOYDS BANKING GROUP (LLOY.L)
The bank's private equity unit LDC is in talks to acquire legal outsourcing
company CPA Global for 400 million pounds ($666 million), the Financial Times
reported on Monday. [ID:nLP631955]
MCBRIDE (MCB.L)
The company releases a trading update.
(Reporting by Simon Falush)
