UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Aug 15
Aug 15 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening up 24 points on Tuesday, according to financial bookmakers. * SAINSBURY: Sainsbury's shelved its talks on a 130 million pounds ($168.49 million) bid for grocery wholesaler Nisa over fear of concerns from UK's competition authorities, The Telegraph reported on Monday. (bit.ly/2vDch2N) * HSBC: HSBC Holdings Plc appoints three executives from Goldman Sachs Group Inc -- namely Michael Chandler, Martin Zoll and Chito Jeyarajah -- in an effort to strengthen its Asia-Pacific equities business, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing sources. (bloom.bg/2i0SyXP) * BRITAIN-EU/CUSTOMS: Britain will propose setting up an interim customs agreement with the European Union after Brexit to allow the freest possible trade of goods. * JAPAN-BRITAIN/MAY: British Prime Minister Theresa May will visit Japan this month for talks with her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe to discuss Brexit, trade and defence, her office said on Tuesday. * OIL: Oil prices steadied in early Asian trade on Tuesday after sharp falls the session before to the lowest in about three weeks as a stronger U.S. dollar and a drop in Chinese refining runs hit the market. * GOLD: Gold prices fell in early trade on Tuesday as easing tensions between the United States and North Korea saw investors seek riskier assets like equities. * METALS: Shanghai base metals futures fell on Tuesday, echoing weaker London prices overnight on a weaker dollar and mixed Chinese industrial data. * The UK blue chip index closed 0.6 percent higher at 7,353.89 points on Tuesday, after gains among financials and miners helped lift the index on Monday from a three-month low, while changes to broker recommendations also prompted moves in individual stocks. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets * UK CORPORATE DIARY: John Menzies Half Year 2017 Earnings Release Mears Group Half Year 2017 Earnings Release H & T Group Half Year 2017 Earnings Release Hargreaves Lansdown Full Year 2017 Earnings Release 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 ($1 = 0.7715 pounds) (Reporting by Justin George Varghese)