UK Stocks-Factors to watch on November 5

Nov 5 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening up on Thursday, with futures up 0.9%.

* NSCALE: Microsoft MSFT.O has rejected an option to more than double the size of its existing contract with Nscale to rent computing power at a data center site in Texas, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

* ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca AZN.L made an offer of about $10 billion to acquire obesity drugmaker Rhythm Pharmaceuticals RYTM.O, according to three people familiar with the matter.

* BP: British oil major BP BP.L plans to sell a 5% stake in Norway's Aker BP AKRBP.OL, the Norwegian oil and gas company said on Wednesday.

* ECB: European Union leaders aim to appoint a successor to European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, who is stepping down early, at their December 17 to 18 summit, a senior euro zone official said.

* UK'S ELECTRIC CAR: UK battery electric vehicle registrations grew by roughly 54% in October from a year earlier, overtaking hybrid and petrol models and taking nearly a 32% market share, industry data showed.

* COMMODITIES: Oil prices fell,Gold prices climbed, Copper and the industrial metals complex rallied on Thursday.

* EX-DIVS: Tritax Bigbox Reit Holding BBOXT.L and HSBC Holdings PLC HSBA.L will trade without entitlement to its latest dividend pay-out on Thursday

* FTSE 100: Britain's FTSE 100 closed at a two-week high on Wednesday as banks rallied ahead of an expected rate hike this week, while the weakening of the dollar following the Democrats' sweep of the US midterms lifted gold prices and shares of precious metal miners.

* UK CORPORATE DIARY:

* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: LIVE/

TODAY'S UK PAPERS
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