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

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(Reporting by Justin George Varghese)