News: RIO UK Stocks-Factors to watch on July 19

July 19 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening around 22 points lower, or 0.3 percent, on Tuesday, according to financial bookmakers.

• The UK blue chip index closed 0.4 percent up at 6,504.33 points on Monday, the highest closing level since August last year, after Japan's SoftBank Group 9984.T agreed to buy chip designer ARM Holdings ARM.L in a $32 billion cash deal.
• RIO TINTO: Rio Tinto RIO.L said on Tuesday it was on track to meet its full-year iron ore shipment guidance from its Australian mines of roughly 330 million tonnes, underscoring the strength of sales to China, despite concerns of oversupply.
• BP: British oil company BP Plc BP.L has chartered a foreign-flagged vessel to transport Alaskan crude, the company said on Monday, the latest sign that producers of Alaskan North Slope, or ANS, crude are eyeing new markets.
• SHELL: Wood Group WG.L oil and gas maintenance workers employed at several Royal Dutch Shell RDSa.L platforms in the North Sea will go on strike for 24 hours on July 26, labour union Unite said on Monday.
• BRITISH MANUFACTURING: British manufacturers' confidence about the outlook for their businesses and the wider economy has fallen to its lowest in at least two years after Britain's vote to leave the European Union, an industry survey showed on Tuesday.
• BRITISH JOBS: Britain's poorest households now rely more on jobs than government benefits for their income, reducing inequality but leaving them more vulnerable to any post-Brexit downturn in the labour market, research showed on Tuesday.
• UK CORPORATE DIARY: EVRAZ Plc EVRE.L Q2 Production Results Ideagen Plc IDEA.L FY Earnings Release Synectics Plc SNXS.L H1 Earnings Release SSP Group Plc SSPG.L Q3 Trading Statement IG Group Holdings Plc IGG.L FY Earnings Release Royal Mail Plc RMG.L Trading Statement