UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Feb. 19

(Adds company news items and futures)
Feb 19 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 45
points higher on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures up
0.8% ahead of cash markets open.
* IAG: Qatar Airways Group said it had increased its holding in British
Airways-owner IAG ICAG.L to 25.1%, buying another stake worth $600 million as
part of a strategy it described as being highly successful. * PENDRAGON: Auto dealership Pendragon PDG.L named interim Chairman Bill
Berman as its new chief executive officer, filling a role that has been vacant
since Mark Herbert quit in June. * MONEYSUPERMARKET.COM: British price comparison website
Moneysupermarket.com MONY.L confirmed media reports that its top boss Mark
Lewis was stepping down and that it had begun the search for his replacement.
* METRO BANK: Metro Bank's MTRO.L interim chief executive officer, Dan
Frumkin, will take over the CEO role on a permanent basis, the British lender
said. * ANGLO AMERICAN/SIRIUS MINERALS: Odey Asset Management will vote in favour
of any bid for Sirius Minerals SXX.L from Anglo American AAL.L at 7 pence
per share or above, the London-based investment firm said.
* OIL: Oil prices gained 1%, with Brent rising for a seventh straight day,
amid broad optimism as new coronavirus cases fell for a second day in China and
concerns rose over supply after a U.S. move to cut more Venezuelan crude from
the market. * GOLD: Gold prices held steady above the key $1,600 mark as an uptick in
equities due to a drop in new virus cases was kept in check by fears about the
economic fallout of the epidemic. * London's FTSE 100 .FTSE shed 0.9% on Tuesday, with HSBC dragging a
sub-index of banks .FTNMX8350 over 4% lower after its annual profit declined
and it laid out plans for a major strategic overhaul that included 35,000 job
cuts and the halting of share buybacks. UK PAPERS
> Financial Times PRESS/FT
> Other business headlines PRESS/GB