UK Stocks-Factors to watch on March 19

March 19 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower on Thursday, with futures FFIc1 down 0.9%.

*HSBC: HSBC HSBA.L is weighing a wave of deep job cuts over the coming years that could ultimately impact around 20,000 roles, or about 10% of its total workforce, according to Bloomberg News.

*ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca AZN.L said it will build a cell therapy manufacturing and supply base and innovation centre in Shanghai.

*SHELL: Macquarie Group MQG.AX has expressed early interest in bidding for Shell's SHEL.L European onshore renewable energy business, according to people familiar with the matter.

*UNILEVER: Unilever ULVR.L and Kraft Heinz KHC.O had recently held talks over a potential merger of parts of their food businesses, the Financial Times reported.

BP: Australia's competition regulator said it has launched an investigation into allegations of anti-competitive conduct by major fuel suppliers which includes BP's Australian unit, among others.

*BP: BP BP.L will move its global headquarters by early 2028 to new offices in London, as per BP's emailed statement to Reuters.

*ANGLO AMERICAN: Anglo American AAL.L expects to get final regulatory approval for its merger with Teck Resources around the year-end, the company's Brazil CEO Ana Sanches said.

*STEEL IMPORTS: Britain will lower its tariff-free quota on imported steel and double the tariff on imports exceeding that quota, the government said.

*COMMODITIES: Oil and gold prices rose, while copper slid to its lowest in more than two months.

*EX-DIVS: Standard Charterred STAN.L, Beazley BEZG.L, M&G MNG.L, and Melrose Industries MRON.L.

*FTSE: The UK's main equity indexes fell on Wednesday, erasing earlier gains.

UK CORPORATE DIARY:

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