July 27 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen

opening higher on Monday, with futures up 0.1%.

* FRASERS GROUP ( SDIPF ): Frasers Group ( SDIPF ) is exploring ways to

install its chief executive Michael Murray as the CEO of Hugo

Boss, The Times reported, as the British company

pursues its takeover of the German fashion house.

* SERICA ENERGY ( SQZZF ): Serica Energysaid it had agreed to

acquire fellow oil and gas producer Pharos Energy in a

cash deal valued at about £145.7 million.

* LSEG: London Stock Exchange Group's ( LDNXF ) Lipper unit said

it was investigating an unusually large transaction in one

investment-grade bond fund that distorted its wider fixed-income

fund flow data.

* PINEWOOD TECHNOLOGIES ( PINWF ): U.S. tech private equity firm Ridgeview

offered to buy Britain's Pinewood Technologies ( PINWF ) for 448

pence per share, the companies said, valuing the automotive

service provider at £545 million.

* OIL: Oil prices tumbled 4% after the U.S. and Iran paused

strikes over the weekend after two weeks of attacks, raising

hopes of a diplomatic solution that would de-escalate the

conflict.

* METALS: Copper prices firmed up, buoyed by a nascent halt in

fighting between the U.S. and Iran and oil market relief.

* GOLD: Gold rose as a pause in Middle East hostilities sent oil

prices sharply lower and eased some inflation concerns, while

investors waited for the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy decision

due later this week.

* FTSE: Britain's FTSE 100 index climbed on Friday, helped by

gains in HSBC ( HSBC ) shares that boosted financial stocks,

while investors monitored oil prices and escalating hostilities

in the Middle East.

* UK CORPORATE DIARY:

AstraZeneca ( AZN ) Q2 results

Vodafone ( VOD ) Q1 trading update

Cranswick ( CRWKF ) Q1 trading update

* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please

click on:

TODAY'S UK PAPERS

> Financial Times

> Other business headlines

(Compiled by Neeshita Beura in Bengaluru)