SKIN.L Share News (SKIN)

ZURICH, March 27 (Reuters) - The Swiss blue-chip SMIwas seen opening 1.2 percent higher at 8,613 points on Tuesday,according to premarket indications by bank Julius Baer.Here are some of the main factors that may affect Swissstocks.

NOVARTIS

GlaxoSmithKline will buy Novartis's NOVN.S 36.5percent stake in their consumer healthcare joint venture for$13.0 billion in cash, the partners said on Tuesday.

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NESTLE

The company is launching a lower-sugar Milkybar made with anew version of the sweetener which could help ease the $185billion confectionery industry's growing public health headache.

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COMPANY STATEMENTS

* ABB said it has priced the $1.5 billion bondoffering it has launched, with the funds being earmarked forgeneral corporate purposes and a portion of its acquisition ofGE's Industrial Solutions business.

* Sensirion said the over-allotment option hasbeen fully exercised in its upcoming initial public offering.

* Baloise reported full year profit attributable toshareholders up 2.5 percent at 548.0 million Swiss francs.

* Novartis Chief Executive Vas Narasimhan aims tomore than double the pharmaceutical company's sales in Chinaover the next five years and gain faster reimbursement forcutting-edge cancer drugs as the country speeds up approvals,Bloomberg reported.

* Ypsomed said it has established its firstsubsidiary in Canada.

* Schmolz + Bickenbach said it will propose IsabelCorinna Knauf as a new independent member of the board ofdirectors at its AGM. Two current members Vladimir Polienko andDr Heinz Schumacher will not stand for re-election.

* Cassiopea, a clinical stage specialitypharmaceutical company focused on medical dermatology products,has announced the lists of candidates proposed for the board ofdirectors at its AGM next month.

* SHL Telemedicine reported full year net profitof $2.4 million. [SHLTN.S>]

* Warteck Invest reported full year profit of 16.4million Swiss francs.

* Vifor Pharma said it has concluded a agreementwith Zeria to market Veltassa in Japan.

ECONOMY

(Reporting by Zurich newsroom)