UK Stocks-Factors to watch on May 17

May 17 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening down 4

points at 7,730 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.

* ROYAL MAIL: New chief executive of Royal Mail, Rico Back, has been

paid nearly 6 million pounds ($8.13 million) to buy him out of his contract in a

move that could spark fury among former state-owned company's trade unions and

shareholders. http://bit.ly/2ILWaJ6

* MOTHERCARE: Britain's Mothercare Plc will shutter 50 stores in the

UK and bring back Mark Newton-Jones as chief executive as part of a

restructuring plan to be unveiled on Thursday.

* KPMG: KPMG, Deloitte, EY and PwC have drawn up contingency plans for a

break up of their UK businesses, in case regulators force them to spin off their

audit from their consulting businesses, FT reported. https://on.ft.com/2k3DXsM

* BETTING: The maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals in the UK will

be dramatically slashed to just 2 pounds in a major victory for gambling

campaigners. http://bit.ly/2IrYcuK

* GOLD: Gold prices made modest gains on Thursday after touching their

lowest level this year in the previous session, amid geopolitical uncertainty

and a slightly weaker U.S. dollar.

* OIL: Oil prices firmed on Thursday, with Brent crude creeping ever closer

to $80 per barrel, a level it has not seen since November 2014, as supplies

tighten while demand remains strong.

* EX-DIVS: HSBC, Intertek Group, Tesco will trade

without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 6.77

points off the FTSE 100 according to Reuters calculations

* The UK blue chip index closed 11 points higher at 7734.20 on Wednesday, as

mining stocks rallied.

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

* UK CORPORATE DIARY:

British Land Company PLC Full Year 2018 Earnings Release

National Grid PLC Full Year 2018 Earnings Release

3i Group PLC Full Year 2018 Earnings Release

Future PLC Half Year 2018 Earnings Release

Investec PLC Full Year 2018 Earnings Release

Euromoney Institutional Investor Half Year 2018 Earnings Release

Grainger PLC Half Year 2018 Earnings Release

Thomas Cook Group plc Half Year 2018 Earnings Release

Royal Mail PLC Full Year 2018 Earnings Release

Just Group PLC Q1 2018 Business Update

TODAY'S UK PAPERS

> Financial Times

> Other business headlines

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($1 = 0.7382 pounds)

(Reporting by Sangameswaran S in Bengaluru)