UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Dec. 12
Dec 12 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening up 13 points, on Tuesday, according to financial bookmakers. * SKY: Comcast Corp dropped its bid for most of the assets of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc, that includes a stake in European pay-TV provider Sky PLC, leaving Walt Disney Co as the sole suitor to acquire the assets. * HSBC: HSBC drew a line under its punishment for lapses in anti-money laundering controls on Monday, saying the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) would end its deferred prosecution agreement, lifting the threat of further penalties. * TALKTALK: Jefferies analysts expect broadband provider TalkTalk Telecom Group Plc to cut its dividend by 40 percent next year as it looks to avoid a breach of its debt covenants. * BHP: Samarco Mineração SA , a joint venture between Brazilian miner Vale and Anglo-Australian BHP Billiton, on Monday received two waste system permits in a small step toward resuming operations halted after a November 2015 tailings mine dam collapsed, killing 19 people. * BREXIT: Prime Minister Theresa May hailed "a new sense of optimism" in Brexit talks, telling parliament on Monday an agreement to move negotiations on to future trade ties would reassure those concerned Britain may leave with no deal. * OIL: Brent crude oil prices jumped above $65 per barrel for the first time since 2015 after the shutdown of the Forties North Sea pipeline knocked out significant supply from a market that was already tightening due to OPEC-led production cuts. * GOLD: Gold was slightly higher on Tuesday, just up from its lowest in nearly five months in the previous session, and ahead of the start of a two-day U.S. Federal Reserve meeting. * The UK blue chip index closed 0.7 points higher on Monday, as a weaker pound, rising oil prices and growing confidence in the financial sector helped pushed British shares higher and well ahead of their European peers. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets * UK CORPORATE DIARY: Ashtead Group Q2 2018 Earnings Carpetright Half Year 2018 Earnings Glencore Investor Update Drax Group Trading Statement Balfour Beatty Trading Update TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * 3000 Xtra : visit topnews.session.rservices.com * For Top News : topnews.reuters.com (Reporting by Justin George Varghese)