UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Feb. 1

(Adds futures and news items)
Feb 1 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening nine
points higher at 6,417 on Monday, according to financial bookmakers, with
futures .FFIc1 up 0.59% ahead of cash market open.

* HARGREAVES LANSDOWN: Hargreaves Lansdown HRGV.L raised its dividend and
posted a 10% jump in profit for the first half, as it brought in a record number
of new clients on the back of a market recovery post the coronavirus
selloff. * ASOS: ASOS ASOS.L has bought the Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and
HIIT brands from the administrators of Philip Green's collapsed Arcadia group
for 265 million pounds ($364 million), the British online fashion retailer
said. * RYANAIR: Ryanair RYA.I said it may lose close to 1 billion euros in its
current financial year, but Europe's largest low-cost carrier said the crisis
would create significant growth opportunities. * CENTRICA: The GMB union said engineers and other staff at Centrica 's
CNA.L British Gas will go on strike on Feb. 5 to Feb. 8 in a dispute over
proposed changes to work conditions. * ASTRAZENECA: The European Commission gave approval on Friday for the use
of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca, the final step to allowing
Europe to use it across the continent. * TRADE: In just one month of post-Brexit trading, British logistics expert
Jon Swallow has seen exports dive, prices rise and customers so desperate that
he is practically offering a counselling service. * SILVER: Silver rallied for a third straight session, soaring as much as
7.4% to a near six-month peak, after social media posts since last week called
for retail investors to flood into the market. * OIL: Oil prices rose after a weak start, adding to the gains of the last
three months, although patchy coronavirus vaccine rollouts, new infections and
the discovery of new variants are casting a shadow over the outlook for
demand. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 1.8% lower on Friday as stalled
vaccine rollouts and lockdowns to curb the spread of contagious new coronavirus
variants kept investors from jumping into riskier assets. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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