UK Stocks-Factors to watch on March 2

March 2 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening down 9.6 points, according to financial bookmakers.

* HSBC: Lawyers for the U.S. government and HSBC Holdings Plc HSBA.L on Wednesday urged a federal appeals court to block release of a court-appointed monitor's report on how HSBC is working to improve its money laundering controls. CAPITA: Capita PLC CPI.L Chief Executive Andy Parker's departure could be announced as soon as Thursday morning when Capita reports annual results, Sky News reported on Wednesday, citing sources. JAGUAR LAND ROVER: Jaguar Land Rover TAMOJL.UL Chief Executive Ralf Speth supported Nissan Motor Co's 7201.T calls for additional funds for car-parts makers while saying there must be "fair play", for all UK automakers, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. http://bloom.bg/2m9kaKI

* BP: BP BP.L agreed on Wednesday to buy Clean Energy Fuels Corp's CLNE.O biomethane production assets for $155 million, expanding its huge gas supply portfolio in the United States and showing its shift to less carbon-intensive projects. EX-DIVS: Barclays BARC.L and RSA RSA.L will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 1.78 points off the FTSE 100, according to Reuters calculations. OIL: Crude oil fell for a third consecutive session on Thursday as a record build-up in U.S. stockpiles weighed on the market, with producers boosting shale oil production. BREXIT: Prime Minister Theresa May will seek to use her majority in parliament's lower chamber to overturn a defeat her government suffered in the upper chamber on legislation allowing her to trigger Brexit, a government source said on Wednesday. BREXIT: Britain believes a post-Brexit free trade deal with the European Union would ease problems that its withdrawal from the EU will create on the Irish border, London's Northern Ireland minister said on Wednesday. The UK blue chip index closed 1.6 percent higher at 7,382.90 points, its highest level ever on Wednesday, with commodities-related stocks tracking stronger metals, while banks gained on expectations of further hikes in U.S. interest rates. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets