Ex-divs to take 8.16 points off FTSE 100 on Mar. 17

LONDON, March 14 (Reuters) - The following FTSE 100 companies will

go ex-dividend on Thursday, after which investors will no longer qualify for the

latest dividend payout.

According to Reuters calculations at current market prices, the resulting

adjustment to prices by market-makers would take 8.16 points off the index.

COMPANY (RIC) DIVIDEND STOCK OPTION IMPACT

(pence)

British American Tobacco 104.6 7.61

Hammerson (Other OTC: HMSNF - news) 12.8 Yes 0.39

Randgold Resources 66 (US cents) Yes 0.17

Among FTSE 250 companies going ex-dividend are:

COMPANY (RIC) DIVIDEND

(pence)

Assura (LSE: AGR.L - news) 0.55

Alliance Trust 3.3725

Close Brothers Group 19

Essentra (Other OTC: FLRAF - news) 14.4

Grafton Group (LSE: GFTU.L - news) 8

Londonmetric Property (LSE: LMP.L - news) 3.75

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels (LSE: MLC.L - news) 4.34

(Reporting by Kit Rees; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)