LONDON (AFX) - Leading shares are expected to open slightly lower this morning, following Friday's weak performance on Wall Street, as record high crude prices heightened inflation concerns on both sides of the Atlantic, dealers said.
According to spread-betting firm IG Index, the FTSE 100 index is expected to open around 7 points lower, after closing at 5,345.8 on Friday.

Monday Aug 15
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
INTERIMS
Nelson Resources
Michael Page
Raymarine
Systems Union

FINALS
None scheduled

AGMs
None scheduled

EGMs
Mercury Group

ECONOMICS
UK July Rightmove house price survey (2301 GMT Sunday)
UK CBI SME trends survey (2301 GMT Sunday)
London retail sales monitor (0830 GMT)

MARKETS
Tokyo: Nikkei midday 12,288.13, up 26.45
Hang Seng midday 15,407.07, down 43.88

TODAY'S PRESS
* Arms industry faces shake-up; six-month review will pinpoint which military technologies stay in Britain; more weapons could come from overseas suppliers - FT
* Carrefour denies Wal-Mart talks - Independent
* BRITISH AIRWAYS expects to have all European short-haul operations from Heathrow back to normal today, as well as most long-haul flights - FT
* Commerzbank chief investigated; prosecutors probe Klaus-Peter Muller as part of alleged money-laundering scandal; bank plays down investigation as a 'legal step' - FT
* BELLWAY secures key renewal project - FT
* MARCONI sale shows pension loophole; UK regulators may be powerless to force Huawei to protect telecoms employees' savings - Independent

PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on the impact of new International Financial reporting Standards on BT GROUP, Dell (retains a heavy weighting in US PCs; there is a risk that sky-high revenue growth rates - high teens in recent years - could slip back towards the mid to low teens; while it would leave Dell well ahead of the pack, Friday's 7 pct share price fall is a reminder of the excellence investors now expect), Ethical investment (socially responsible investment could account for 15 pct of the UK stock market by 2009, according to recent analysis)
Independent
Small Talk: Stephen Foley comments on HIGHBURY HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS (arrival of Kelvin MacKenzie should just about tip the balance in favour of saving Highbury), EASIER (second auditor quits), EDEN RESEARCH (censured by Ofex), ASHTON PENNEY (seeking AIM listing)
Express
Hilary Cook, director of investment strategy at Barclays Stockbrokers says Asian economies typically offer good levels of cyclical exposure; her current favourite is the Aberdeen Far East Emerging Markets unit trust - THE AIM MARKET: NEPTUNE MINERALS (October float), ASHTON PENNEY (temp agency plugs boardroom gaps)

as this is the "traders thread", maybe someone could answer a question?

suppose i open a T10 for example, and the share is suspended. where would i stand wrt settlement?

Just noticed that the divi on STAN of 18.94p Is wrong

Thats there payment In Cents!

Think It's only around about 11p now.

You're worth a divi then Stan...where can I buy shares in you?
;>)
(just kidding)