UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Aug 12

Aug 12 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is expected to open 34 points higher at 7,288 points, according to financial bookmakers.

* RBS: Royal Bank of Scotland RBS.L will name Alison Rose as chief executive officer in coming weeks, succeeding Ross McEwan, Sky News reported on Saturday. SSE: British energy supplier SSE SSE.L said on Saturday it was in talks with OVO Group about the sale of its energy retail arm which serves 5.7 million households in Britain. THOMAS COOK: Indebted travel group Thomas Cook Plc TCG.L is in advanced talks with bondholders to raise 150 million pounds apart from the 750 million pound rescue it was already negotiating with top shareholder Fosun Tourism 1992.HK , Financial Times reported on Friday. RIO TINTO: Rio Tinto RIO.L , RIO.AX on Friday said it had moved a step closer to the development of a new copper project in Arizona, one of the few new major known deposits of the metal, with the potential to meet around a quarter of U.S. demand. WOODFORD: Under-fire Neil Woodford leads a list of underperforming money managers two months after his flagship fund was frozen, triggering anger among investors and lawmakers. OIL: Oil prices dipped on Monday amid worries about an economic slowdown and the Sino-U.S. trade war, which have led to a cut in the growth outlook for oil demand. GOLD: Gold prices held steady in holiday-thin trade on Monday, holding near the key $1,500 pivot, as uncertainties around Sino-U.S. trade war and concerns of slowing global economic growth offered support. London's FTSE 100 slipped on Friday as a mix of worries over the U.S.-China trade dispute and political turmoil in Italy weighed on heavyweight banks and miners, while the mid-cap index fell after a surprise downturn in Britain's economy last quarter. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: LIVE/