Rio Tinto Share News (RIO)

Wed, 28th Mar 2012 07:43

LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - * Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen

opening 12 to 15 points, or 0.2 percent lower on Wednesday, according to

financial bookmakers. The June futures contract for the index is down 0.4

percent by 0611 GMT. For more on the factors affecting European stocks,

please click on

* U.S. stocks retreated from near four-year peaks overnight, while Tokyo's

benchmark index also sold off as a majority of the companies in the index went

ex-dividend.

* The UK blue chip index closed down 33.15 points, or 0.6 percent, at

5,869.55 on Tuesday, having swung around from the day's peak at 5,941.90, just

50 points away from the year's high.

* RIO TINTO The world's third-largest miner, effectively invited

bids on Tuesday for its diamonds business, on its books at $1.2 billion, and

joined BHP Billiton in a retreat from an industry that has lost its

sparkle for mining majors.

* BHP BILLITON Union workers will step up industrial action against

seven Australian coal mines operated by the miner, which are among the largest

in the world, a union official said on Wednesday.

* ICAP The world's largest interdealer broker said it was trading in

line with market expectations, with a strong performance at its commodities and

energy arm helping offset tougher conditions on its credit markets side.

* EVRAZ Russia's largest steelmaker said on Wednesday that the

outlook for the global steel industry will remain challenging this year after

its 2011 net profit missed market expectations by 31 percent.

* THOMAS COOK Notes an improvement in UK bookings in the last few

weeks, but says the winter season remains overall subdued and it continues to

expect 2011/12 to be a challenging year.

* LLOYD'S OF LONDON Reports 4.6 billion pounds of catastrophe

claims, the largest catastrophe claims year on record, bring it to a loss of 516

million pounds for 2011, its second-biggest ever

* RBS Talks to sell a stake in Britain's state-owned Royal Bank of

Scotland are being held at the level of the Abu Dhabi ruling family, sources

told Reuters.

* Britain faces a long road back to pre-crisis economic growth rates as

banks are still reducing their balance sheets, Bank of England Governor Mervyn

King said on Tuesday.

* Brent crude fell for a second session on Wednesday, breaching

$125, on the possibility of a release of strategic oil reserves by the United

States even after crude stockpiles in the world's largest oil user rose more

than expected last week. Copper also fell.

* Wednesday's events include a revised reading of Britain's fourth quarter

GDP, euro zone M3 money supply and U.S. durable goods data for February.



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(Reporting By Toni Vorobyova)

Keywords: MARKETS BRITAIN FACTORS

(antonina.vorobyova@thomsonreuters.com)(+44 207 542 9828)(Reuters Messaging: antonina.vorobyova@thomsonreuters.com)

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