UK Stocks-Factors to watch on January 20

Jan 20 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower on Tuesday, with futures FFIc1 down 0.5%.

GSK: Shionogi & Co 4507.T said it would pay $2.13 billion for new shares in joint venture ViiV Healthcare, increasing its stake in the HIV drugmaker to 21.7% as Pfizer PFE.N exits its 11.7% stake. Separately, GSK said that it would acquire RAPT Therapeutics RAPT.O for $2.2 billion.

ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca AZN.L said it would delist its American Depositary Shares and debt securities from Nasdaq.

QINETIQ: QinetiQ QQ.L said it is aligning its U.S. business to the national defence and security priorities of the administration, after President Donald Trump's recent call for increasing the military budget.

DFS FURNITURE: DFS Furniture DFSD.L appointed Dominique Highfield as its CFO.

IMPERIAL BRANDS: Imperial Brands IMB.L named John Rishton as its Chair designate, succeeding Therese Esperdy.

JOBS: Britain's jobs market weakened in the run-up to November's budget announcement by finance minister Rachel Reeves, according to official data.

ANTITRUST FRAMEWORK: Britain aims to refine its competition regime, pledging to make it "faster, more predictable and more proportionate", launching a formal consultation in what could be a major overhaul of one of the world's toughest regulatory frameworks.

WATER SECTOR: Britain will outline plans to improve England's water sector on Tuesday, promising a new regulator with powers to make more checks on infrastructure and try to prevent sewage spills and supply outages.

COMMODITIES: Oil prices edged up, copper was rangebound, and gold jumped past $4,700 per ounce for the first time.

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