News: RIO UK Stocks-Factors to watch on March 24

March 24 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 38 points lower at 6,662 on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers.

• IAG: IAG ICAG.L said on Tuesday it had secured a $1.76 billion credit facility from a group of banks that would be available to its coronavirus-hit airlines Aer Lingus, British Airways and Iberia.
• INVESTEC: Investec's Australian unit has agreed to sell its A$1.2 billion acquisition finance loan-book to corporate lender Metrics Credit Partners, sources told Reuters.
• BHP: BHP Group (BHP) urged rivals to step up trading in the Australian spot gas market and back a domestic price index to help keep the government from intervening in the market.
• ANTOFAGASTA: Workers at Antofagasta's Los Pelambres copper mine in Chile have accepted a contract offer and abandoned the threat of a strike, the union said on Tuesday.
• RIO TINTO: An Australian Aboriginal group on whose lands Rio Tinto Ltd (RIO) mines for iron ore said that heritage reforms Rio announced on Tuesday lacked detail and that it had yet to see an improved approach to cultural heritage management.
• BANKS: The world's biggest banks cut lending to fossil fuel firms by 9% in 2020 as a result of the pandemic, a report showed.
• COVID-19 : Travellers from England will face 5,000 pound fines in new legislation designed to deter non-essential trips and barricade the nation against imported COVID-19 infections.
• GOLD: Gold prices rose as U.S. Treasury yields held close to one-week low.
• OIL: Oil prices edged higher as investors looked for bargains following the previous day's plunge.
• The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 0.4% lower on Tuesday, dragged down by energy and mining stocks.
• UK CORPORATE DIARY: Pendragon PDG.L FY results Bellway BWY.L HY results Diploma DPLM.L Trading statement Burford Capital BURF.L FY results
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