REFILE-LIVE MARKETS-European futures rise, aero-defence results in focus

(Refile to fix wording in second para)

* European shares seen opening higher

* China, U.S. to hold trade talks in October

* Asia shares extend gains on trade deal hopes

* German industrial orders fall more than expected Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of European equity markets brought to you by Reuters stocks reporters and anchored today by Danilo Masoni. Reach him on Messenger to share your thoughts on market moves: rm://danilo.masoni.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net

EUROPEAN FUTURES RISE, AERO-DEFENCE RESULTS IN FOCUS (0616 GMT)

Futures are pointing to healthy gains at the open this morning with gains of between 0.5%-0.7%, while turning to corporate news there are some good-looking updates in the aero-defence sector.

France engine maker Safran raised its full-year profit forecasts and Dassault Aviation, the maker of Rafale warplanes and Falcon business jets, stuck to its 2019 target of higher net sales.

Also underscoring the health of the sector is the promotion to the DAX index of aircraft engine maker MTU Aero Engines in replacement of industrial conglomerate ThyssenKrupp.

A $5 bln share buyback is good news for investors in oil group Equinor, which also announced an earlier-than- planned start-up for the Johan Sverdrup oilfield, the largest North Sea discovery in more than three decades.

In M&A news, German utility E.ON said it would seek to squeeze out minority shareholders in takeover target Innogy as soon as it secures European antitrust approval, while in the Netherlands, the consumer watchdog rejected a proposed merger between PostNL, the country's largest mail carrier, and its main rival Sandd.

In airlines, UK unions at Ryanair announced a further seven days of strikes.

Here's your full earnings headlines round-up:

Safran raises profit forecasts after strong H1

Dassault Aviation keeps 2019 targets as profits rise

Thyssenkrupp to leave Germany's blue chip index DAX; MTU Aero joins

Equinor plans early Sverdrup start-up, $5 bln share buyback

M&S, Direct Line and Micro Focus will be booted from FTSE 100 on Sept. 23

Big investment banks have worst start to year since 2006

UBS plans revamp of investment bank after falling profits - FT

Hellman & Friedman, Blackstone sell 6.2% stake in Scout24

Brazil judge orders Bayer to deposit $69 mln in soy patent dispute

Ryanair UK unionised pilots call seven more strike days

IAG names Fernando Candela as CEO of low cost airline Level

(Danilo Masoni)

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TRADE HOPES SEEN LIFTING EUROPEAN SHARES (0531 GMT)

It looks European stock markets are set for another risk-on day after China and the United States agreed to hold high-level trade talks in early October in Washington.

The announcement by China's commerce ministry -- which follows well-received geopolitical news in UK, Italy and Hong Kong yesterday -- boosted Asian shares overnight and the positive mood is seen spreading to Europe at the start of trading.

Financial spreadbetters at IG expect London's FTSE to open 26 points higher at 7,337, while Frankfurt's trade-sensitive DAX is seen rising 107 points to 12,132, and Paris' CAC to open 47 points higher at 5,579.

Later in the session the focus will turn to the U.S. ISM services survey.

"Any weakness in that series on the back of the sub-50 manufacturing print would be really bad news," writes Rabobank.

(Danilo Masoni)

***** (Reporting by Danilo Masoni, Josephine Mason and Thyagaraju Adinarayan)