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UK Factors-FTSE futures flat, Rolls-Royce cuts profit forecast

(Adds more company news items)

LONDON, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 futures were flat on Thursday. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on

* The UK blue chip index closed up 0.4 percent at 6,297.20 points on Wednesday.

* ROLLS-ROYCE : British engine-maker Rolls-Royce downgraded its profit forecast for 2016, its fourth profit warning in just over a year, blaming sharply weaker demand for spares and services to existing aero-engines.

* BURBERRY : British luxury brand Burberry said on Thursday its comparable store sales improved in its third quarter relative to the second as it reported a better-than-expected 3 percent rise in first half underlying profit.

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* SAB MILLER : Brewer SABMiller reported higher underlying sales for the second quarter on Thursday, a day after larger rival Anheuser-Busch InBev launched a $100 billion-plus takeover bid for it.

* VODAFONE : Mobile networks operator Vodafone has looked at spinning off its entire emerging markets unit, which includes its interests in India, Africa, New Zealand, Qatar and Turkey, but decided the synergies it gives justified keeping the group together, Chief Executive Vittorio Colao said on Wednesday.

* DIAGEO (Amsterdam: DO8.AS - news) : Diageo Plc (LSE: DGE.L - news) is content with its portfolio following recent changes such as the sale of most of its wine business to Australia's Treasury Wine Estates and its brand swap for full control of Don Julio tequila, the company's chief executive officer said on Wednesday.

* BHP BILLITON (NYSE: BBL - news) : Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) of mining company BHP Billiton fell to a seven-year low in Australia as Brazil threatened fines on BHP and its partner Vale over the Samarco mine disaster earlier this month in Brazil.

BHP Billiton also said it was disputing an A$288 million ($205 million) coal royalty bill from Australia's Queensland state, stemming from how it measures the value of coal.

* 3I : British private equity company 3i realised 307 million pounds ($466.82 million) of assets in the half year to the end of September, and saw its net asset value (NAV) per share rise despite what it described as a deteriorating market environment.

* FIRSTGROUP (Amsterdam: FI6.AS - news) : Bus and train operator FirstGroup plc (LSE: FGP.L - news) said its pretax profit dropped by a third in the first half, hit by the loss of rail franchises in Scotland and south-east England and the later than normal return to school of some U.S (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) . students.

* ALDERMORE : Aldermore Group Plc (LSE: ALD.L - news) said lending rose about 20 percent in the first nine months of the year, as the up-and-coming British bank issued more mortgages and loans to small and medium-sized businesses.

* BEAZLEY : Lloyd's of London insurer Beazley Plc (Other OTC: BEAZF - news) reported a 6 percent jump in gross written premiums, helped by strong growth in its U.S. specialty lines business.

* UK HOUSE PRICES: British house price growth accelerated in October, fueled once again by a shortage of new homes coming to the market, a body representing property valuers said on Thursday.

* INDIAN PM/BRITAIN: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a visit to Britain on Thursday that he hopes will yield trade deals worth billions of dollars and a boost to his authority after a damaging electoral failure back home.

TODAY'S UK PAPERS

> Financial Times

> Other business headlines Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * 3000 Xtra : visit http://topnews.session.rservices.com * BridgeStation: view story .134 For more information on Top News visit http://topnews.reuters.com (Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta)