UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-FTSE seen opening lower on March 24

(Adds futures, company news items)
March 24 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index .FTSE is seen opening down
41 points, or 0.7 percent lower on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers,
with futures FFIc1 down 0.77 percent ahead of the cash market open. For more
on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on The UK blue chip index closed up 6.37 points, or 0.1 percent higher on
Wednesday at 6,198.50, as Kingfisher (LON:KGF), Europe's largest home improvement
retailer, beat profit expectations and investors dipped back into the travel
sector.
* HEDGE FUND: Lone Pine Capital senior analyst Ran Li is to start a new
London-based equities hedge fund backed by the U.S. firm, sources with direct
knowledge of the matter told Reuters, in what could prove one of the year's
biggest European launches.
* NEXT: British clothing retailer NXT.L met its latest guidance with a 5
percent rise in annual profit but cautioned 2016 could be the toughest it has
faced since 2008 as it anticipates a more difficult economic environment.

* PETRA DIAMONDS: The company, which owns the historic Finsch and Cullinan
mines, PDL.L said on Thursday it had recovered and sold an exceptional 32.33
carat pink diamond from the Williamson mine in Tanzania for $15 million.

* RENISHAW: British precision engineering company RSW.L cut its full-year
revenue and earnings forecasts, citing lack of large orders from the Far East
this year.
* BREXIT: Support in Britain for membership of the European Union has
declined, two polls showed, suggesting a dispute within the ruling Conservative
Party may be undermining Prime Minister David Cameron's campaign for the country
to stay in.
* OIL: U.S. oil prices fell in Asian trading on Thursday, adding to a slump
in the previous session, after stockpiles rose for the sixth week to another
record. O/R
* COPPER: London copper was steady on Thursday, but was facing its largest
weekly drop in six after hawkish comments by Federal Reserve members stoked a
dollar rally, pushing investors to take profits ahead of a holiday weekend.

* EX-DIVS: Prudential Plc PRU.L , Schroders Plc SDR.L and Sky Plc
SKYB.L will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on
Thursday, trimming 4.35 points off the FTSE 100 according to Reuters
calculations. UK PAPERS
> Financial Times PRESS/FT
> Other business headlines PRESS/GB