UK Stocks - Factors to watch on Nov 12

Britain's FTSE 100 is seen opening between 9 and 11 points lower, or down 0.2 percent, according to financial bookmakers, reversing the previous session's gains as investors look set to book profits after substantial gains on the index so far this week.

The FTSE ended 0.7 percent higher on Wednesday, and touched an intra-day high at levels not seen since September 2008, after a jump in Chinese factory growth and reassuring UK unemployment numbers spurred demand for riskier assets.

The index is up 2.4 percent so far this week and is on track to post its best weekly gain since mid October.

Weakness on the FTSE is seen mirroring falls in Asia. Meanwhile on Wall Street overnight shares hit fresh 13-month highs, seen as offering some support to the FTSE.

A raft of corporate results from UK companies is seen giving direction to shares in the absence of any significant economic data from Britain on Thursday.

Data set for release from across the Atlantic include the U.S. Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) mortgage market index at 1200 GMT and the U.S. weekly jobless claims at 1330 GMT.

* GLOBAL MARKETS-Asia shares edge higher, gold hits record

* US STOCKS-Market gains on homebuilder forecast, China data

* Nikkei falls 0.7 pct; Nippon Yusen, shippers slide

* Dlr near lows, Aussie hits 15-mth high after data

* TREASURIES-Prices steady after 10Y note sale

* Oil steady above $79; eyes on U.S. data, dollar

* PRECIOUS-Gold hits record above $1,120/oz on weaker dlr

* METALS-Copper steady on China data, weak dollar

UK stocks to watch on Thursday are:

BHP BILLITON & RIO TINTO

Western Australia state has raised the stakes in its demand for higher royalties from iron ore miners Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton, telling them that it would not rubber-stamp their planned iron ore merger.

Meanwhile, China has extended by two months a commercial espionage investigation into Rio Tinto mining executive Stern Hu, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said.

VEDANTA RESOURCES

A strike over wages by workers at Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), a unit of London-listed Vedanta Resources, halted most units at the facility in Zambia on Wednesday, the company said

ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND

The bank will make a A$1.5 billion bid ($1.40 billion) for Australian investment firm Babcock & Brown Infrastructure (BBI),taking aim at arival Canadian proposal, the Australian Financial Review said on Thursday.

BANKS

Governments may take up to seven years to sell stakes in banks bailed outduring the financial crisis, due to complexity of rescue deals and an unattractive disposal environment, Pricewaterhouse Coopers said.

BRITISH AIRWAYS

British Airways and Spanish airline Iberia could announce a mergeragreement as early as this week, Sky News reported

EURASIAN NATURAL RESOURCES

The miner releases third-quarter output numbers.

BT GROUP

The telecommunications firm reports second-quarter results.

SERCO GROUP

The support services group releases a trading update.

CENTRICA

The utility firm releases a trading update.

REED ELSEVIER

The private equity firm reports first-half results.

AMEC

The oil services group releases a trading update.

WH SMITH

The retailer releases a trading update.

TRINITY MIRROR

The newspaper publisher releases a trading update.

AVEVA

The enginnering software group reports first-half results.

LADBROKES

The bookmaker releases a trading update.

DAIRY CREST GROUP

The firm reports first-half results.