UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on March 27

March 27 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index isseen opening 78 points higher at 6,966 on Tuesday, according tofinancial bookmakers, with futures up 1.4 percent aheadof the cash market open.

* GSK: GlaxoSmithKline said on Tuesday it will buyNovartis's 36.5 percent stake in their consumerhealthcare joint venture for $13 billion in cash, and will alsobegin a strategic review of some other businesses.

* A.G. BARR: Fizzy drinks maker A.G. Barr Plc postedan 8 percent increase in full-year revenue, "well ahead" of thetotal market performance, but pointed to economic volatility anduncertainty from Britain's vote to leave the European Union.

* DIXONS CARPHONE: Britain's Dixons Carphone Plcnamed on Tuesday British cycle retailer Halfords Group Plc'sHFD.L finance chief, Jonny Mason, as its finance director.

* FERGUSON: Heating and plumbing products supplier FergusonPlc on Tuesday reported a 15 percent rise in first-halftrading profit, helped by strength in its main U.S.market.

* UNITED UTILITIES: British water utility United UtilitiesGroup Plc said on Tuesday it expected to report higherprofit and revenue for the full year ending March, helped mainlyby regulatory changes in how utilities charge customers.

* GALLIFORD TRY: British construction group Galliford Trysaid it would raise around 158 million pounds ($225million) through a fully underwritten rights issue to cover thecosts of a troubled project it had been working on with thenow-defunct Carillion.

* SHELL: The heavy oil hydrocracker was shut on Monday atRoyal Dutch Shell Plc's 227,586-barrel-per-day (bpd)Convent, Louisiana, refinery, said sources familiar with plantoperations.

* GOLD: Gold prices inched lower early Tuesday amid reportsof trade negotiations between the United States and China, whicheased fears of a trade war and improved investors' appetite forriskier assets.

* OIL: Oil prices rose on Tuesday, pushed up by concernsthat tensions in the Middle East could lead to supplydisruptions.

* The UK blue chip FTSE 100 index fell 0.4 percentand closed at 6.888.7 points on Monday, reversing earlier gainsand joining a broader pull-back in Europe where diplomatictensions with Russia helped more than offset easing trade warfears.

* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, pleaseclick on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets

TODAY'S UK PAPERS

> Financial Times

> Other business headlinesMultimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for:* 3000 Xtra : visit http://topnews.session.rservices.com* For Top News : http://topnews.reuters.com(Reporting by Siju Varghese)