LONDON, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening up 28 points, or 0.5 percent higher on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.
* The blue chip FTSE 100 index .FTSE closed up 10.21 points, or 0.2 percent, to 6,278.97 points on Wednesday, buoyed in late trade by a rise on Wall Street and a rise in the oil sector, even as tourism-related stocks were under pressure.
* BHP BILLITON BLT.L - Mining giant BHP Billiton said on Thursday its priority was to maintain a healthy balance sheet, but made no direct comment on future dividends amid speculation that tumbling commodity prices will force it to cut its payout.
BHP Billiton CEO Andrew Mackenzie said the company is committed to getting Samarco, its iron ore joint venture in Brazil, back on its feet following a dam disaster nearly two weeks ago and has no plan to walk away from its holding.
* BARCLAYS BARC.L - Barclays Plc will pay an additional $150 million to New York State's financial regulator to resolve allegations that it rigged foreign exchange trading by putting the bank's interests ahead of those of its clients, the regulator said on Wednesday.
* SHELL RDSa.L , BG BG.L - Royal Dutch Shell cleared a major hurdle to its $70 billion takeover of BG Group on Thursday, winning a green light from Australia's competition watchdog, which said the deal would not change the dynamics of the domestic market.
* STANDARD CHARTERED STAN.L - British bank Standard Chartered will pay about 55 million pounds ($84 million) to banks underwriting its $5.1 billion rights issue, according to details released on Wednesday.
* LONMIN LMI.L - Lonmin shareholders will on Thursday decide whether to approve a deeply-discounted $407 million share issue, as the beleaguered platinum producer seeks cash to stay afloat.
* The total value of assets managed by Britain's investment management industry hit a fresh record of $7.1 trillion in the first half of 2015 and year-on-year growth should top 9 percent, an industry body said on Thursday.
* The number of cars built in Britain fell slightly in October as an increase in exports failed to outweigh a drop in demand at home, industry data showed on Thursday.
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