Morning all.

Buy bot on IHG 1400

Morning all.

London shares - midmorning features

FTSE 100 risers
BHP Billiton 600-1/2 up 14-1/2
Hopes of fresh returns to shareholders; Morgan Stanley repeats 'overweight'
AstraZeneca 2,168 up 38
UBS repeats 'buy' with 2,740 pence target; Merrill 'buy' with 2,700 target
Tomkins 264-3/4 up 4-1/2
Nine-months' results due tomorrow
Reuters 397 up 5-1/2
Rally; Chicago Mercantile Exchange reportedly interested in Instinet
Prudential 419-3/4 up 5-1/2
'Outperform' with 477 pence target - CAI Cheuvreux
WPP Group 583-1/2 up 7-1/2
Rally
Land Securities 1,245 up 15
JP Morgan reiterates 'overweight'; ABN Amro repeats 'buy' with 1,443p target
BSkyB 556-1/2 up 6
CSFB reiterates 'outperform' following meeting

FTSE 100 fallers
Kingfisher 291-3/4 down 2-3/4
Deutsche Bank cuts target to 335 pence from 340
InterContinental Hotels 666 down 13-1/2
Disappointing Q3 results; Seymour Pierce 'sell'
Marks & Spencer 343 down 3/4
'In-line' from 'outperform' - Goldman; Panmure Gordon 'sell'
William Morrison Supermarkets 222-3/4 down 1-1/2
Concerns over bad Christmas trading
Tesco 295 down 1/2
Lehman targets 295 pence

FTSE 250 risers
Stanley Leisure 445-1/4 up 22-1/4
Solid trading update
French Connection 264 up 9
Chairman Stephen Marks reportedly revisiting stake sale prospect
Investec 1,409 up 42
Bid speculation; interims due Thursday
easyJet 189 up 5-3/4
In-line FY results
Wilson Bowden 978 up 2
'Overweight' with 1,213 pence target - Morgan Stanley
Crest Nicholson 337-1/4 up 1-3/4
Co wins 100 mln stg contract from Surrey Council; Arbuthnot 'buy'
Balfour Beatty 300-1/2 up 3-1/4
Preferred bidder for 56 mln stg Birmingham schools project; Arbuthnot 'buy'
WS Atkins 70 up 10
Arbuthnot Securities 'buy'
Serco Group 222-1/4 up 2
Arbuthnot Securities 'buy'
Interserve 317 up 5
Arbuthnot Securities 'buy'
IMI 374 up 4-3/4
Williams de Broe 'buy'
Forth Ports 1,253 up 33
'Buy' from 'hold' with target upped to 1,450 pence from 1,150 - DKW

FTSE 250 fallers
GWR Group 231 down 11
Static interims
Capital Radio 403 down 2-3/4
GWR results; Advertising radio slowdown
Big Food Group 87-1/4 down 3
Numis Securities reiterates 'sell' with target cut to 80 pence from 85
Persimmon 630-1/2 down 8-1/2
'Underweight' from 'equal-weight' with target cut to 294p - Morgan Stanley
Barratt Developments 514-1/2 down 5-1/2
Morgan Stanley reiterates 'underweight' with target cut to 461p from 521
George Wiqey 355-1/2 down 2
Morgan Stanley 'underweight' with target cut to 294 pence from 316
Kidde 159-1/4 down 1-3/4
United Technologies bid doubts
Acambis 264-3/4 down 3-1/4
Q3 losses; reduction in revenue guidance

Other risers
UA Group 1,420 up 220
Agreed 52 mln stg bid from Elphinstone
Conroy Diamonds 3.50 up 0.50
Upbeat progress report outweighs full-year losses
MS International 66-1/2 up 9
Buqer interims
Pursuit Dynamics 144-1/2 up 19-1/2
Coca-Cola Enterprises deal
Victoria Oil & Gas 70 up 8
ZAO SeverGas-Invest acquisition completed
Printing.com 38-1-/2 up 3-1/2
Buqer interims; optimistic statement
Eicom 0.67 up 0.06
Deal with BT's Rich Media division; Deutsche Bank 'buy'
Scotty Group 4.75 up 0.25
Talk of more armed forces deals over the next few weeks
Van Dieman Mines 37-1/2
New issue placed at 30 pence
SovGEM 55
New issue at 50 pence
ScS Upholstery 366-1/2 up 15
Full-year profits up 64 pct; Seymour Pierce/Panmure Gordon 'buy'

Other fallers
Tribal Group 149 down 20
Full-year profits warning
Lo-Q 4.25 down 0.75
Seeking support level
Mice Group 52 down 3-3/4
Margin pressure worries with interims; Arbuthnot 'sell'
Greencore 197-1/2 down 13
After results
Abacus Group 245 down 15
After results
Cambridge Antibody 595-3/4 down 2-1/4
Lehman cuts target to 778 pence from 787
Tottenham Hotspur 26-1/2 down 1-1/4
One-nil defeat by Aston Villa last night

Added a few (ADM) to my initial 292p PEP holding. Getting minimal media attention but clocking on nicely towards expected confirmation of FTSE250 entry 2 weeks from now.



Think i might start a thread on this one. Only came to market a few weeks ago, but at 800m it sits among the top 200 companies and ranks as a serious player in the insurance sector.

long more LAND 1246 s/l on

long ARM 104 s/l on