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News Headlines:    US:  Stocks ended lower Monday despite cheer from better home sales, Volume was light and the profit taking was partly triggered after reports that bombings in India's financial capital, Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, killed at least 46 people and injured more than 100.

UK: The euro's strength this year has allowed the French economy to sneak past Britain's in relative size for the first time in four years. Official data out on Friday showed the British economy was worth 270.97 billion pounds in the second quarter of the year. But figures out earlier this week showed the French economy was worth 386.13 billion euros in the second quarter. Taking the average exchange rate of 70.2 pence to the euro, that equates to 271.10 billion pounds. The euro has gained nearly 10 percent against the pound this year.

Reckitt Benckiser the world's biggest household goods firm, said it would start buying back shares and hiking its dividend, as it posted higher second-quarter profit and raised its full-year targets. The maker of Finish/Calgonit dishwasher products, which has been tipped to buy SSL International said it made a net profit of 117 million pounds in the three months in line with the market forecast

Bunzl, food packaging manufacturers reported a one percent fall in first-half profits at the top end of forecasts, and said it was confident about the future. Pre-tax profits fell to 100.8 million pounds for the half year to end-June from a restated 102.1 million last year. Analysts' forecasts ranged between 98.2 and 100.5 million pounds.

Persimmon Britain's largest housebuilder said profits in the first half of the year surged 29 percent to 151.7 million pounds The firm "performed very strongly in the first half,. with sound market conditions broader geographic spread and good landbank gives us great confidence that we can continue to achieve excellent growth," the firm said The average house price increased from 135,000 to 155,000 over the last 12 months.

Canary Wharf: The Canadian chairman of the British property group is planning to enter a takeover battle for the company, the Sunday Telegraph reported, without citing sources. GUS The retail and financial information firm is in negotiations to buy part or all of PowerHouseRBOS: The bank is reconsidering a 4.5 billion pound for the United States' Sovereign Bancorp

Calendar All GMT	United Kingdom (F)inals (I)nterim	United States (Click Flag)	Europe & World
Tue 26th Aug	Bunzl (I) PBT 99.5m exp. Persimmon (I) PBT 140m exp.Reckitt Benckiser (I) PBT 267m exp. Metal Bulletin (I), Systems Union (I) Regus (Q2)	H&R Block US Q1, Hewlett-Packard US Q3 13.30 July Durable Goods Orders 1.0% exp. 15.00 August Consumer Confidence 79.9 exp. 15.00 July New home Sales 1140k exp.	Air France (Q1) AWD Holding H1 Hochtief H1 Stada Arzneimittel Q2 09.00 August German IFO Expectations 101.3 exp.
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