* Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening down 6-10 points, or 0.2 percent on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers, retreating after strong gains in the previous session as investors await news from the latest Federal Reserve meeting and hope for further economic stimulus measures. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on
* The latest two-day monetary policy-setting Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meeting concludes on Wednesday, with a decision on interest rates and any possible further capital injections for the ailing U.S. economy due after the London markets close at 1630 GMT.
* The UK blue chip index closed up 95.22 points, or 1.7 percent on Tuesday at 5,586.31, just below the 5,600 level it had breached briefly in the late afternoon for the first time since the start of May. Escalating hopes for concerted economic stimulus measures from central banks helped drive Britain's leading share index up to a six-week high, with a fall in British inflation seen as increasing the chances of another Bank of England move.
* London copper futures slipped on Wednesday on worries over Spain's debt problems and as some investors cashed in on gains made the previous day. But talk of further stimulus by the U.S. Federal Reserve, which could lift demand for industrial metals, lent support.
* Brent crude was steady at under $96 a barrel on Wednesday, but prices stayed close to 17-month lows hit the previous session as worries over Spain's deep borrowing costs lingered ahead of the outcome of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy meeting.
* RIO TINTO - The miner will spend $3.7 billion to increase iron ore output in Australia by a further 25 percent to 353 million tonnes a year by 2015, shrugging off forecasts of waning demand and a looming global supply glut.
* MAN GROUP - The group has named Tim Peach as managing director and head of its operations in Asia Pacific, a spokeswoman for the $59 billion hedge fund firm told Reuters on Wednesday.
* ITV - The commercial broadcaster could be a bid target for Germany's ProSiebenSat.1, according to traders, with any offer seen pitched at between 130 pence and 150 pence a share, the Daily Telegraph's market report said. The Financial Times' market report said the bid gossip focused on private equity interest.
* SAGE GROUP - The British firm has entered the Brazilian software market by buying Folhamatic Group, a provider of accounting, tax, payroll and regulatory software to small businesses, expecting to pay 125 million pounds ($196 million) for a 75 percent stake.
* KESA ELECTRICALS - Europe's No. 3 electricals retailer posted a 42 percent fall in underlying year profit, cut its dividend and said it did not expect its markets to improve any time soon. It also announced that Alan Parker, its senior independent director, will succeed David Newlands as chairman in September and said it planned to change its name to Darty from July 31.
* COSTAIN - The contractor's joint venture with Sweden's Skanska has been awarded a fifth contract by Crossrail worth approximately 40 million pounds in total.
* CLUFF GOLD - The miner said drilling results from its Yaore Project in Cote d'Ivoire indicates that there is gold mineralisation for an across-strike distance of 650 metres from west of the Yaoure central pit, and said drill rigs on site are being increased from three to four, in order to rapidly test upside potential.
* LIONTRUST ASSET MANAGEMENT - The UK funds house has swung to a full-year profit after strongly-performing funds attracted steady new money and acquisitions pushed assets over $3 billion against a challenging backdrop of euro zone market volatility.
* BRAEMAR SHIPPING SERVICES The shipping firm has appointed James Kidwell its chief executive with immediate effect, and said the overall performance of the group is in line with the board's expectations.
* PENDRAGON - The motor dealer said visitor numbers to its evanshalshaw.com and stratstone.com websites have increased by 33 percent in the first five months of the year, with like-for-like used car sales volume increasing by 10.5 percent in the same period.
* HEALTHCARE LOCUMS - The healthcare group said U.S. legal proceedings have been dismissed voluntarily by the plaintiffs.
* British labour market data will be released at 0830 GMT on Wednesday, with May claimant count seen falling by 3,000, after a 13,700 drop in April, and April's ILO unemployment rate expected to be unchanged at 8.2 percent.
* Minutes from June's Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee meeting will also be released at 0830 GMT, with investors keen to see whether there has been any change in the number of members voting for further quantitative easing (QE). Forecasters see one less MPC member voting to maintain the central bank's QE programme at current levels, with a vote count of 7-2 predicted versus 8-1 in May.
* Ex-dividend factors will knock 2.27 points off the FTSE 100 index on Wednesday, with Experian, Land Securities, Severn Trent , and United Utilities all trading without their payout attractions, which includes a special dividend for Severn Trent.
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
KESA ELECTRICALS reports full-year results.
INDEPENDENT RESOURCES posts first-half results.
JD SPORTS FASHION holds its annual general meeting
COVE ENERGY holds its annual general meeting.
BRAEMAR SHIPPING SERVICES holds its annual general meeting.
UK COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TRUST holds its annual general meeting.
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times
> Other business headlines Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * 3000 Xtra : visit* BridgeStation: view story .134(Reporting by Jon Hopkins; Editing by Catherine Evans)
