UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Jan 8

Jan 8 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 33 points higher at 6,890 on Friday, according to financial bookmakers.

* SIGNATURE AVIATION: U.S. private equity firm Carlyle CG.O made a takeover approach for London-based Signature Aviation SIGSI.L , setting the stage for a potential bidding war with Blackstone (NYSE: BX ) BX.N for the Bill Gates-backed company. RETAIL: More than 50 British retailers, including Tesco TSCO.L and Marks & Spencer MKS.L , face potential tariffs for re-exporting goods to the European Union, their trade body said, amid warnings this could make Britain less competitive. JOBS: Britain's job market strengthened for the first time in three months in December, before a renewed lockdown this month, with an increase in permanent hiring and a small rise in the number of vacancies, a monthly survey of recruiters showed. ECONOMY: A wave of optimism washed over bosses of major British companies in December, ahead of a tightening of COVID-19 restrictions this month, even though many thought it would take a long time to recover fully from the pandemic, a survey showed. COVID-19: Britain's government will require people entering England to present a negative COVID-19 test result on arrival starting next week to protect against new strains of the coronavirus from other countries, the government said. GOLD: Gold inched lower as the U.S. dollar and Treasury yields firmed, although hopes for additional stimulus in the world's largest economy kept bullion on course for a second straight weekly gain. OIL: Oil prices held near 11-month highs and were on track for a strong weekly gain as Saudi Arabia's pledge to cut output continued to buoy market sentiment. The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 0.2% higher on Thursday as investors bet on a bigger U.S. stimulus package under a Democrat administration, while retailer Sainsbury jumped after raising its profit outlook. UK CORPORATE DIARY: