European Factors -- Shares set to open flat, US shut for holiday

(Adds more companies, analyst quote, updates table)

LONDON, July 4 (Reuters) - European shares were seen opening little changed
on Friday as investors struggled for direction with the U.S. market closed for
the Independence Day holiday and little to eye on the economic or corporate
calendars.

At 0630 GMT, futures for the DJ Euro Stoxx STXEc1 fell 0.1 percent,
futures for Germany's DAX FDXc1 rose 0.02 percent and for France's CAC FCEc1
were down 0.1 percent.

Asian stocks slipped on Friday as record high crude oil prices threatened to
jeopardise earnings and curb consumer spending. On Wall Street the Dow Jones
industrial average rose on Thursday on relief payrolls data was not as weak as
some had feared.

The European Central Bank raised rates by 25 basis points as expected on
Thursday but dimmed the prospect of further moves amid growth concerns.

"We've had turmoil this week...The market's running around like a headless
chicken because (of) fear and uncertainty," said David Buik of Cantor Index in
London.

"With Independence Day New York is shut, there's nothing serious on the data
front and nothing serious on the earnings front. We deserve it," he added.
"We've had a hell of week."

----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT AT 0631 GMT----------------------

LAST PCT CHG NET CHG

S&P 500 .SPX 1,262.90 0.11 % 1.38

NIKKEI .N225 13,237.89 -0.21 % -27.51

MSCI ASIA EX-JP .MIASJ0000PUS 463.76 -0.63 % -2.95

EUR/USD EUR= 1.572 0.15 % 0.0024

USD/JPY JPY= 106.84 0.07 % 0.0700

10-YR US TSY YLD US10YT=RR 3.987 -- 0.00

10-YR BUND YLD EU10YT=RR 4.537 -- 0.01

SPOT GOLD XAU= $934.50 0.18 % $1.65

US CRUDE CLc1 $145.27 -0.01 % 0.00

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

* Energy shares, tame jobs data lift Dow [ID:nN03458252]
* Nikkei edges down, sentiment remains gloomy [ID:nT352878]
* Asia stocks slip as oil hovers near record high [ID:nL04707344]
* Oil pauses near record over $145, U.S. holiday ahead [ID:nSIN6275]
* Dollar keeps gains on U.S. payrolls, Trichet [ID:nT333218]
* TREASURIES-Short maturity debt gains on weak jobs [ID:nN03480117]
* Gold bounces after NY fall, record oil helps [ID:nSP6087]

COMPANY NEWS:

UBS AG (UBSN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research)

Battered Swiss bank UBS AG said it expects to post at worst a small loss in
the second quarter as a 3 billion Swiss franc ($2.96 billion) tax credit offset
further investment banking losses, the bank said. Related news: [ID:nL04721471]

DEUTSCHE BANK (DBKGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research), COMMERZBANK (CBKG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research), DEUTSCHE POSTBANK
(DPBGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research)

Goldman Sachs has cut its price targets for Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank and
Deutsche Postbank. Related news: [ID:nWEA1019]

BG GROUP (BG.L: Quote, Profile, Research)

Origin Energy Ltd (ORG.AX: Quote, Profile, Research), an Australian energy producer and retailer,
advised shareholders to reject a $13.1 billion bid from British gas company BG
Group and reiterated its coal seam gas reserves position. Related news:
[ID:nSYD21852]

BHP BILLITON (BLT.L: Quote, Profile, Research)

BHP Billiton has matched Rio Tinto's (RIO.L: Quote, Profile, Research) near 100 percent price hike for
2009-2009 iron ore deliveries, Chinese industry officials said on Friday, ending
protracted talks over contracts worth billions of dollars. [ID:nSP9603]

BSKYB (BSY.L: Quote, Profile, Research)

British pay-TV firm BSkyB is considering a bid of more than 2.5 billion
euros ($4 billion) for Spanish pay-TV platform Digital Plus, the Financial Times
said on Friday.

AIR FRANCE-KLM (AIRF.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), VEOLIA TRANSPORT (VIE.PA: Quote, Profile, Research)

Air France-KLM and Veolia Transport are discussing an alliance in the
high-speed train sector, French dailies Le Figaro and Les Echos report on
Friday.

SWISS LIFE (SLHN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research), FRIENDS PROVIDENT FP.L

Swiss Life is no longer considering a bid for Lombard, the high-end
insurance unit of Friends Provident, a source familiar with the matter said.
[ID:nL03537613]

BRADFORD & BINGLEY BB.L

The mortgage lender plans to increase the size of its rights issue to 400
million pounds ($794 million) after U.S. private equity firm TPG Capital pulled
out of a plan to buy a stake, the bank said. [ID:nL03676609]

GLAXOSMITHKLINE (GSK.L: Quote, Profile, Research)

Two rival flu drugs, Roche's (ROG.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) Tamiflu and GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK.L: Quote, Profile, Research)
Relenza, work equally well to fight the symptoms of influenza in children,
Japanese researchers reported. [ID:nN03385085]

MERCK KGaA (MRCG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research)

Annual growth in Merck's liquid crystals business should be in the region of
a high single-digit percentage until 2010 and revenue growth from other special
chemicals more than 5 percent, the head of the chemicals unit, Bernd Reckmann,
told the Financial Times Deutschland newspaper. Related news [MRCG.DE-E]

TUI (TUIGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research)

Norwegian shipping magnate John Fredriksen, who owns 15 percent of TUI, has
called for the resignation of TUI CEO Michael Frenzel, the German business daily
Handelsblatt reported. A TUI spokesman said a similar proposal had been defeated
at the annual general meeting and was now moot. Related news [TUIGn.DE-E]

BEIERSDORF (BEIG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research)

Beiersdorf is preparing for a sale of its chemicals unit Bode and is being
advised by Sal. Oppenheim, the Financial Times Deutschland newspaper reported. A
Beiersdorf spokeswoman confirmed that a sales process targeted at selected
investors was under way. Related news [BEIG.DE-E]

FLUXYS (DIST.BR: Quote, Profile, Research), SUEZ (LYOE.PA: Quote, Profile, Research)

French utility Suez is selling a 12.5-percent stake in Fluxys (DIST.BR: Quote, Profile, Research), the
operator of Belgium's gas pipeline network, to British fund Ecofin Ltd for 2,600
euros per share or a transaction value of 228 million euros, Belgian business
daily De Tijd reported.

The Suez stake in Fluxys drops to 45 percent, one of the European
Commission's conditions for its merger with Gaz de France GAZ.PA.

For more, double click on [DIST.BR]

FORTIS (FOR.BR: Quote, Profile, Research)(FOR.AS: Quote, Profile, Research)

A Belgian consumer association and a investor activist group urge the
Belgian-Dutch financial services company to hold an extraordinary shareholder
meeting to face angry investors.

For more double click on [FOR.BR]
(Reporting by Rebekah Curtis)